


Fear

by OopsFanfiction



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Bad Puns, F/M, I feel bad for Poe, Ill timed humor, Poor Poe, long chapters, not really a love triangle, probably a lot of angst, stupid amount of drama, this is mostly about kylo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-03-19
Packaged: 2018-05-12 16:55:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 59,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5673532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OopsFanfiction/pseuds/OopsFanfiction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shyon never wanted to be anything special. Her father's secret ruined that. And then everything went downhill.</p><p>A story about a girl who wanted to be invisible--she was a smuggler, she was supposed to be invisible. But the Force had other plans. And Kylo Ren was all too eager to embrace what the Force had given him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coruscant

**Author's Note:**

> Mkay. So, I'm on the Kylo Ren/Ben Solo bandwagon. I apologize that this will take a while to really get going but I have a problem with building character backstories. It just keeps going. I'm sorry.

The First Order could be cruel. Shyon Jerriko was only three when she witnessed the First Order take her infant sister out of her mother’s arms. It was for the “betterment of the First Order” and “the galaxy thanks them for their sacrifice” but little Lora was gone forever. Shyon fell asleep to her mother crying night after night until she just stopped. The tears stopped. The smiles were faked. And then, close to Shyon’s tenth birthday, she left. Her father, Dees, always seemed to hug her a bit tighter after that. Every day he’d send her off with, “never show fear, little one.” True, the words weren’t exactly filled with sentimentality, but she knew her father loved her. 

Years passed and feelings seemed to fade. The betrayal of her mother and loss of Lora were distant memories as Shyon now worked in her father’s small ship parts shop near one of the smaller landing stations on Coruscant. It didn’t pay well as the First Order usually just came in and took whatever they needed, but it was enough. Shyon learned how to keep her head down and her mouth shut to keep the Stormtroopers from looking in her direction and to keep the First Order out of their home for an “inspection” (which was really just a poorly coded word for looting their home and making them disappear). It wasn’t a complicated nor glamorous life. It was very clear that she and her father were outsiders on the planet. They didn’t have the standard Coruscanti accent nor any gang or political affiliation to create a buffer or protective barrier between them and everyone who could and do take advantage of them. But she still had her father, and that’s all the mattered to her. 

And then _he_ walked into the shop.

Tall, dark hair, and a swagger of a smuggler, he caught her eye as he perused the shelves of new compressor plates.

“Are you Dees’ daughter?” He asked, his voice not disguising his smile.

“I am. Are you one of our loyal customers or a loyal thief?” 

The man laughed and picked up a plate. “Customer. Where is Dees, by the way?”

Shyon looked behind her to see her father still hadn’t come back from the shop down the street with lunch. The worrying voice in her head had grown louder with every passing moment but she had tried to ignore it. She pushed a smile to her face. “He’s around here somewhere. Is there something you need? I can help you just as well.” 

He squinted at her for a moment and bit his lip. “Has he mentioned me?” He asked as he walked around the rest of the aisle to lean against the counter she was behind. 

“No.” It wasn’t a lie. Her father hardly ever told her anything about customers. She was just supposed to ring them up or chase them down if they tried to steal. Every once in a while he would have to leave Coruscant to pick up more stock, but he was usually back within a week. 

He laid the compressor plate down on the counter. “You sure?”

“Yeah. I think my father only mentions the important ones, so sorry.” She nearly laughed at the way the smirk dropped from his face. While her father had told her to never show fear, she replaced it with sarcasm and insults. Neither of which really got her any points when she was tired and wanted to go to sleep but got stopped by a First Order patrol unit on the way home. She pulled the plate out from under his hand and rang it up. “Will that be all for you, mister…”

“Dameron. And, uh, yeah. Thanks.” He handed over a wad of credits and then slipped out the door. 

It was quiet for a moment in the shop but soon Dameron appeared in the doorway again, cautiously looking over his shoulder. His chest was heaving as if he had just sprinted back. 

“Mister Dameron?”

“I need your help. You can ask all the questions you want after the coast is clear but I-”

“Yeah, all right. Come in.” She waved him in and he scurried behind the counter and with something close to practiced ease, slid behind one of the filing cabinets and disappeared from sight. 

As if on cue, two Stormtroopers ran into the shop, blasters raised toward her. Shyon instinctively raised her hands over her head. 

“What did I do?” 

One of the Stormtroopers pulled a hologram projector from his suit and pressed the button. A projection of Dameron filled the air. “Have you seen this man?”

“Yes,” she answered. “He bought a compressor plate a few minutes ago.”

“Which way did he go?”

“He turned left out of here.”

The Stormtroopers paused for a moment but then quickly left. Dameron didn’t come out from behind the cabinet for almost an hour. She knew what he was doing, making sure they weren’t going to come back and test her again. 

“Are you sure that your father never mentioned me?” He asked as he ran a hand through his dark hair. 

“Absolutely. Why?”

“I just don’t know why you would lie if he hadn’t told you about me.”

“I didn’t lie.” Shyon smiled. “I told the truth.”

Dameron smiled and Shyon felt her cheeks heat with a blush. “That’s true. Regardless, it was enough to get them to leave and I am in your debt, just like I am in your father’s.”  
Shyon quirked a strawberry blonde eyebrow in a silent question.

Dameron’s smirk was large. “You will have to ask your father what that means, it isn’t my story to tell.” He took a step closer and Shyon had to stop herself from stepping back in retaliation. Never show fear. “But I am happy to see that loyalty isn’t lost.” 

“You said I could ask any question I wanted,” Shyon deadpanned.

“I know.” Winking, he slipped out the door again without another word. 

While the hours continued to tick by and neither Dees nor Dameron appeared. Something was wrong. Very wrong. And Shyon knew it had to do with Dameron’s presence and the Troopers’ questioning. But she continued to live by her motto and didn’t show any fear. Closing time came and went and she shut down the store by herself and walked home alone, something her father always tutted at. But where was he now?

The small apartment was dark when she arrived. She flipped on the lights and had to fight a smile as the light hit the small framed pictures on the dusty table. There were no traces of her mother or younger sister but the frames were still filled with loving moments between Shyon and Dees. He was a protective father, one of her few friends, and her closest confidante. True, he stumbled a bit when it came to some questions Shyon had about boys, but he tried. He was a kind, quiet type of man. It was cliché to admit it, but he was her hero. 

After fixing herself a small bit of dinner, Shyon noticed the usually bustling neighborhood was eerily quiet. Her father had always told her that she had an innate ability to know something was wrong. It always started as a tingling at the base of her skull until her entire head was humming, like static over a comm machine. And right now, it felt like her entire body was humming, full of static energy. She changed quickly out of her standard shop uniform of khakis and a red tunic and into all black. She tied up her strawberry blonde hair into a high ponytail and set out into the city. 

Everyone was huddled in their homes, peeking out from behind tattered, gauzy curtains as she continued down the path toward the dock near the shop. Something was pulling her toward it. She slunk between alleys, avoiding prying eyes she knew were hiding in the shadows. When the bright glow of the docks finally engulfed her, her breath stuck in her throat. There, bathed in light, was a resistance X-Wing. Stormtroopers were swarming around it, the tarp that once concealed the starship was now dangling precariously off the ledge of the dock. More Stormtroopers came from behind the X-Wing, dragging both her father and Dameron with them. 

The Stormtroopers all paused as a familiar First Order ship landed beside the X-Wing. The back hatch opened and more Stormtroopers walked out followed by a man draped in black. A shining black mask covered his face. Almost instantly, Shyon was overcome by a feeling of hatred and grief. And sadness. It was impossible to ignore the sadness. She watched as the man in black approached Dameron first. Her hiding spot was too far away to hear what he was saying but watching Dameron spit in the masked man’s face was all the indication Shyon needed to know that her father was in much more serious danger than she first anticipated. The masked man’s attention then focused on her father. Again, she couldn’t hear what he was saying but the situation went from bad to worse as the masked man pulled a metal object from under his robes and a red sword suddenly appeared. 

Realization dawned on her. This was Kylo Ren. Of course she had heard of him, everyone had heard of the general with the strange powers. He was terrifying and deadly, and right now, his attention was focused on her father. 

Before she even knew what she was doing, she was sliding down the dock and sneaking toward the momentarily abandoned First Order starship. If Shyon was being honest, she knew very little about ships. She could sell parts all day, every day, but she barely knew what they did. The Stormtroopers and Ren were distracted enough that they didn’t notice when Shyon managed to pull open one of the electric plates under the plane. Her father had always taught her that the red wire was usually the most important—and she was thankful to know that the electrical plate she removed actually exposed the light and sound fuses. And all of their red wires.

She quickly tugged at as many wires as possible. And then she was rewarded with a blaring horn and flashing lights. The perfect distraction.

Maybe.

“Find them!” a mechanical voice boomed.

Okay, maybe she didn’t think this through completely. Thinking quickly, she scrambled around the X-Wing, hopefully out of sight of the investigating Stormtroopers, and toward one of the many abandoned ships on the dock. Thankfully, one of them was a Bravo 5 starfighter—one of the few starships Shyon actually knew about. She slid under the holey tarp and pulled off the largest shield plate to reveal the cracked fuel cell and the nearly obliterated cartridge for the main blaster.

“Dammit,” She muttered as she heard the stomping of the Stormtroopers’ boots walking by her. This was going to hurt. Licking her fingers, she shoved her fingers between the cracked casings and bit her tongue as an electric shock shot through her entire body. Before she lost her nerve, she pinched the two frayed wires together. She barely heard the blaster start to shoot off into the air over the rattling of her skull. Her hair was definitely standing on end as she rolled out from under the Starfighter and sprinted to where her father and Dameron were only being watched by one lone Stormtrooper. Again, she acknowledged that she really needed to think these things through and then she tackled the Trooper before he could turn the blaster on her.

“Run!” She screamed as she continued to grapple with the trooper.

“Shyon!” Her father bellowed, astonishment and disappointment coloring his voice.

“Just go!”

Dameron shot to his feet and grabbed the blaster from the downed Stormtrooper and quickly shoved the butt of it into the helmet, knocking him unconscious, before pulling Shyon to her feet. “Get to The Works! Go now!”

By now, the Bravo 5’s blaster’s casing had started to smoke and the already rapid succession of shots into the air became more accelerated and colored the night sky with red sparks. Stormtroopers were starting to sprint back toward them. Shyon held out a hand to her father who quickly took it and they were running away from the dock as fast as they could. The sound of the X-Wing starting up was almost musical against the backdrop of the horn and malfunctioning ship blaster. He was safe.

Now Shyon needed to keep her father safe.

But she was suddenly jerked away from the main path and down a dark alleyway by her father. He pulled a set of keys from his jacket pocket just as they turned a corner. An old speeder bike was waiting for them.

“Get on,” her father ordered and Shyon didn’t need to be told twice. She hopped on the back and wrapped her arms around her father’s waist as the bike choked twice before humming with life. It sped down the alley and back out onto the street toward The Works. It was a place her father had told her again and again to stay away from—the industrial plant area of Coruscant, once home to the Empire’s TIE fighters, was usually teeming with criminals and gangs but right now, she would kill to get to it.  
A thought dawned on her as the wind whipped her hair right out of its ponytail.

“Since when can you drive a speeder bike?” She asked, nearly yelling over the roaring wind.

“I’ll tell you later!” He took a quick turn and Shyon nearly slipped off the back.

The rest of the trip was quick but Shyon knew they were being hunted, pursued by the First Order with all of their might. If the rumors were true, Kylo Ren hated being embarrassed.

And she had definitely embarrassed him. Panic started to settle in and she clung a little tighter to her father and pressed her face into his jacket.

The bike eventually slowed and Dees took her by the hand and ran straight toward one of the large buildings. He shouldered the door open and didn’t miss a step as they ran toward a decrepit looking elevator. They both shoved in and Dees pressed the button to take them to the roof of the hundred story building.

“What’s going on?” Shyon asked, finally finding her voice.

“I told you, I’ll explain later.” The elevator jerked to a stop and Dees once again surprised his daughter by pulling out a small blaster and stepping out onto the roof first. He looked around and then back at Shyon. “C’mon, they’re here.”

“Who?”

Dees only answered her by yanking her hand and pulling her out onto the roof. In front of her was a large shuttle ship. Two men were standing in front of the loading dock, holding large blasters. “‘Bout time you showed up Jerriko! Almost thought you wouldn’t make it out of there,” one said as he ushered him and Shyon onto the ship.  
As if on autopilot, Shyon buckled herself in. The shuttle ship took off almost at light speed and pressed Shyon into her seat.

“You should sleep,” Dees said in a quiet voice, is large hand enveloping hers.

“Are you going to explain anything?”

“I will. I promise I will when we get to D’Qar.”

“Are we safe?”

Dees faltered for a moment. “No, I’m afraid we will never be safe.”

**

D’Qar, even at night, was beautiful. Shyon’s lungs felt free, light. Uncontaminated by city pollution, it was as if she could scale walls and run until her feet touched clouds. But that would have to wait. After landing, she was guided to a small stone structure under a large, lush tree. Inside was a small home, complete with two bedrooms and bathroom unit.  
Shyon wasn’t sure if she should’ve been surprised to see some of her father’s personal belongings scattered about.

“Is this home now?” she asked, her voice soft.

“Yes. It’s just as comfortable as Coruscant. Even a little quieter. You’ll love it.” He leaned down and brushed a few locks of her hair away from her forehead before kissing the top of her head, like he used to do when she was little before sending her off to school. As he grabbed a bit of food from the table and handed her a hunk of bread, Dees sighed. “Well, I assume you still want answers.”

“Correct.”

They both settled onto the small, worn couch under an open window.

“It started with Lora. When she was taken, I thought the world was ending. How could the First Order just steal infants? But your mother told me something that day, the last day we saw Lora. Decades ago, when the Empire still ruled the Galaxy, there was a protocol to…harvest anyone with special abilities. Your mother’s sister, your aunt, was taken. It was called Project Harvest and your aunt was taken in the middle of the night as she was sleeping next to your mother in their little home on Coruscant. She was never seen again. Losing Lora brought back your mother’s memories of watching her sister get taken. It was too much and then, as you know, she…um, left. All I had was you. I needed to protect you. I couldn’t just sit around and wait for the First Order to be defeated like the Empire was when I was your age. I needed to fight. Poe—you know him as Dameron—Poe Dameron stumbled into our shop on pure luck. He was on the run with a ship out of commission. Before I knew it, I was helping him rebuild his ship while you were taking care of the shop for me during your last year of school. He told me about the Resistance, what they were doing, what they were fighting for. And that was it for me. I started smuggling parts, giving information to the Resistance about what I knew the Troopers were doing. Anything they asked, I did.” He paused and his dark blue eyes searched her hazel ones, as if afraid. “I just wanted to keep you safe.”

Shyon let that galactic bit of information sink in and bit off another hunk of bread. Her father was a Resistance spy and smuggler. Her mother was still gone. Her aunt had been abducted too. And now she was basically a fugitive.

Her throat was dry and the bread had trouble going down. “I’m going to sleep, okay? Will you help me settle in in the morning?”

Dees gave her a small smile and nodded. “The bedroom on the right is yours.”

“Thank you.” She kissed his forehead and stepped away.

**

_“You hear it, don’t you?” a mechanical voice whispered in her ear. “You hear it calling to you.”_

_Everything was dark. No light permeated the sheet of blackness surrounding her._

_“Give in. Let me see you, see the darkness in your heart.”_

_A flash of light nearly blinded her and suddenly Kylo Ren was standing in front of her, red, glowing blade held high._

_And then he struck._

_The scene suddenly changed and she was surrounded by sand and nearly blistering light of a sun. There was just sand, sand everywhere—only to be interrupted by downed Empire ships and an AT-AT._

_“Are you okay?” A male voice asked, almost suspicious._

_Shyon looked around to find the source of the voice but only found more sand._

_“I won’t hurt you…”_

_The scene changed again and all she could see were Stormtroopers, lined up and ready for deployment._

_“This is your mission-”_

“Shyon!”

Shyon sat up and nearly collided with her father. “I, um, I’m awake.”

Her father’s blue eyes squinted with concern. “What were you dreaming about? You were thrashing around like a fish out of water. Nightmare?”

Shyon sighed and ran a hand through her sweat soaked hair. “Yeah, I guess. I don’t remember.”

Dees was quiet for a moment. “Are you sure?”

“Why would I lie?” She asked. But why would she lie? Especially about a dream.

Her father nodded and stood up from her bed. “C’mon, I have a few people who’d like to meet you.”

“Were they expecting me?” she asked, tying her hair into a braid and smoothing out the wrinkles in her clothing.

Dees gave a sheepish smile. “A father tends to talk about his daughter quite a bit.”

Shyon just smiled and wiped at her cheek as she felt the dried drool on her skin. He lead her out of the small home and back out to the main grounds which were buzzing with life. Stone and cement hangers were built into the hills of the planet and her father took her by the hand as he brought her into the one in the center of the base.

“Jerriko!” someone hollered. “Glad to see you alive, man!” Dees just waved in return and shouldered through the bustling crowd and down a flight of stairs. He slowed to a stop in an open area which was dominated by a large table with holograms of different ships and planets and systems.

“General,” he started, “this is my daughter, Shyon.”

A beautiful, powerful woman turned from the table and smiled as she looked at Shyon, who suddenly felt very inadequate. Of course she had heard of Princess Leia Organa, war hero. But it had been in secret in books she’d found stashed away in an abandoned room at school. After the First Order had reestablished itself on Coruscant, teachings about the Rebellion and the Fall of the Empire were basically forbidden. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Shyon.” She held out a hand which Shyon shook with a surely-sweaty grip.

“You as well, General.”

The General’s smile just widened and she shook her head. “I am happy to have you both here. Your father is an asset to the Resistance and, if you are anything like him and I can tell that you are, you will be too.” There was a moment as Leia just looked at her, as if trying to read her soul and Shyon felt a very strange pull toward the older woman, a connection, almost familial. But soon it was lost and she then inclined her head in a nod and they were dismissed. This continued for a few minutes, her father introducing her to high ranking members of the Resistance and Shyon had to wonder just how much power her father had here. Eventually, she saw a familiar face.

“Poe!” Dees yelled, raising a hand in greeting toward the black-haired pilot.

Poe turned and smiled, walking up to him, giving him a tight hug. “That was a close one last night, huh? Quick thinking on your daughter’s part. I knew she was going to be great when I first laid eyes on her.” Poe looked directly at her and Shyon felt her cheeks flame with a blush.

“Um, thanks.”

Poe just laughed. “Are you going to go out with your dad today on the run?”

Shyon frowned. “What?”

“Thank you for that, Dameron. She hasn’t exactly been clued in to what I do just yet. I was going to give her the option later.” Anger and embarrassment seemed to pour out of her father.

“I-”

“I go where you go, dad. You know that.” Shyon pushed a smile to her face. “It was good to see you Dameron. Glad to see you didn’t get blown up.” She then pulled her father away from the pilot who seemed to be grasping for words at the moment, frozen in place.

“What was that about?” She asked quietly.

“I just…this is new. This is dangerous and you are my little girl. I don’t want to pressure you to do anything because I messed up and got you caught up in this whole debacle.”  
Shyon smiled and shook her head. “It’s been this way since I was little, remember? I go where you go. And Dameron said it himself; I’m going to be great. Let’s go be great.”

Eventually, she met with a young Lieutenant Connix who outfitted her with new, simple clothing that wouldn’t draw attention on any of the planets her father would probably be travelling to throughout the upcoming missions. Connix seemed very sweet and even invited Shyon over for dinner when she had time.

“I’ll show you around. I’m sure your father knows all the important people but you can’t go to a cantina with the General. I’ll make sure you don’t lose your mind. Sound good?”

Shyon could hug the girl but refrained. A friend. It had been a while since she’d had one of those. In school everyone had left her alone after it was revealed to the class that her mother dropped off the face of the planet.

“Yeah, that sounds great. Thank you, so much.”

Connix, whose first name she learned was Kaydel, just beamed another smile at her and walked her back to her father who was waiting beside Poe. The two seemed to have made up from their past altercation.

“Are you ready?”

It had been mentioned in passing, almost casually, that her father was one of the best smugglers the Resistance had seen since Han Solo. And now she was joining him on a mission. Well, sort of. She was supposed to just be a look out. Make sure he wasn’t about to be arrested by a trooper or a bounty hunter while they went to a remote planet on the outer rim. It was called Jakku or something and they were dealing with a Junkboss named Unkar Plutt whose silence was bought for a few extra credits and partial parts. He didn’t care if Dees was Resistance or not as long as he believed he was getting the better deal.

Sounded easy enough, right?

Apparently not. Shyon wasn’t sure if she was her father’s bad luck charm or what but she once again found herself yanking at wires to cause a distraction when she saw not one but two bounty hunters heading toward her father just when he had loaded the last of the X-Wing parts, blasters, and food onto the aging salvage ship. Honestly, Jakku was filled with scrap starships and other pillagers so this was almost as easy as it was on the dock. Left and right, she tugged and let the aging, permanently-grounded ships sing a swan song and kick up a nearly blinding amount of sand. She pulled on her goggles and shoved her father into the ship before scurrying in behind him.

The door was just about to close when a hand wrapped around her ankle and tugged her out of the ship. The sand continued to kick up as the salvager sped away, unaware that Shyon wasn’t on board. She was tugged facedown onto the sand and a barrel of a blaster was pressed right between her shoulder blades.

“You lost me my bounty,” the man said, digging his boot into her side for emphasis. By now the sand had settled and the ships had been taken under control by Unkar’s thugs. He kicked her over onto her stomach and glared down at her.

Shyon nearly grimaced at the sight of the bounty hunter’s face. He probably was Trandoshan by the way his entire body was covered in green scales. He looked like an angry frog bred with an even angrier snake. Sure, living on Coruscant put her in contact with all matter of species but she’d never seen a Trandoshan this frog like.

“What are you staring at?!” The hunter hissed, only further proving Shyon’s internal hypothesis that he was more animal than human.

“Scales. You have scales,” the words were just falling out of her mouth now and only seemed to make the hunter angrier. It didn’t help that the other hunter just laughed at her comment.

The hunter raised his blaster as if to hit her in the head with the butt of it.

“Stop!” Boomed a voice behind them.

The turned to see an elder man with pristine white hair walking toward them, his arms outstretched as if in surrender. But there was knowledge in his light blue eyes.

“This isn’t your fight, Tekka!” The hunter growled.

“On the contrary,” the man spoke again, his voice much softer now, “that girl is nothing to you. She was just attempting to get off planet in the back of a salvager and you accuse her of sabotaging your bounty. Now, I do believe Unkar Platt said you only had two hours to collect your bounty before you were no longer welcome here. And that time expired just a few moments ago. I suggest you leave while you still have the opportunity to do so.”

“Are you threatening us?” The other hunter asked.

“Of course not. Just providing a friendly warning.” Tekka then smiled and shrugged. The bounty hunters took this as a cue and ran back to their ship and disappeared to the horizon. “Are you all right?” He asked, suspicion coloring his tone.

It was then that Shyon realized she was stranded on a wasteland. Alone. Without her father. “Show no fear,” she muttered to herself before pushing up to her feet. “Thank you,” she said, holding out a hand to Tekka.

He tilted his head to the side and looked at her with warm but calculating eyes before shaking her hand. “You are Dees’ daughter, Shyon.”

“Right. How did-”

“Your father and I have been working for the Resistance for a few years. He will come back for you. I am sure of it.” He sighed. “I didn’t plan on staying here, but I will gladly keep you company until your father realizes his mistake and returns for you.”

He was a stranger but Shyon felt very much at peace in his presence. She managed to smile and nod. “I would be forever in your debt.”

Tekka led Shyon to a small, open air cantina Unkar had built behind his large junk pile and quietly explained the other parts of her father’s assignments in the Resistance. Tekka, or Lor San Tekka, was one of the few people in the galaxy who knew about life before the Empire. He was a valuable source of information for the Resistance but he couldn’t abandon his people in the small village, Tuanul. The Resistance, Tekka explained, was searching for guidance from old works and what Tekka called the Jedi. Again, Shyon had heard whispers about these people but so little of it was taught on Coruscant because of the tight grip the New Order had on the planet. He taught her about the Jedi, the Sith, the Force. It all sounded so fascinating. He explained how Luke Skywalker was the last known Jedi and how he used to visit Tuanul to consult the texts Tekka had saved from the Empire’s destruction.

“It is a shame,” Tekka said. “I do miss his company.”

“Perhaps he will return,” Shyon added. “It sounds like he had an ally in you. Those do not come into your life as often as we would hope.”

Tekka smiled. “You are a wise one for someone so young.”

Shyon just smiled. But the smile faltered when she caught sight of the strange necklace around Tekka’s neck. “That’s a very interesting pendant,” she said. It was small brown cube—there was actually nothing very special or interesting about it but, and she knew it was strange to admit, something about it made it curious.

Tekka looked down and ran a finger across the small pendant. “Funny you should say that. Skywalker himself gave this to me during our last meeting.” He was silent for a moment before changing the subject. They talked about everything. He asked about her childhood and she found herself opening up about her little sister and mother.

“I know they’re gone,” Shyon said in a small voice. “And not just gone as if they were on a different planet. But gone.”

“How do you know?” He asked in return.

She placed a hand over her heart and sighed. “I could feel it. And it’s probably some trick of the mind, trying to cope with it, but I believe it.”

The older man just nodded, understanding in his eyes. Their conversation moved to the galaxy before the takeover of the Empire, how the Jedi were warriors for the Republic, and how it was all destroyed by one man’s manipulation. Luke had told Tekka about the forbidden love between Padme Amidala and Anakin and how that had led to his downfall when he was manipulated by Palpatine.

“I know what you’re saying makes him a terrible person but this man, this Darth Vader or Anakin Skywalker—however he should be addressed—did everything he could for love. Isn’t love supposed to be a force for good?”

“Love can be cruel. It can make you blind, crazy, irrational. But yes, he did everything he could for love. It’s a bit of a tragedy.”

Shyon let that sink in. The General, Luke…they were both descendants of one of the greatest villains in the history of the Galaxy. But they were heroes, true heroes in every sense of the word. She liked to think that the good in Vader’s final moments, that the good inside his children, would eventually win out.

“I think he would like you,” Tekka said with a chuckle.

“Maybe one day I’ll find out.” She sighed. “I’d like to see your village. It sounds fascinating. Peaceful.”

“It is,” Tekka said, his voice colored with pride. “There’s nothing in the Galaxy quite like it. When you come back with your father, I’ll have to convince him to make a pit stop at Tuanul the next time he has to deal with Unkar.”

“I’d like that.”

And, as if on cue, the familiar Salvager landed on the other side of the cantina and a desperate looking Dees ran out. “Shyon!”

“I’m okay, dad!” She hollered and stood up. She turned back to Tekka and smiled. “I can’t thank you enough for what you have done today-”

The old man waved a frail hand. “Think nothing of it. Just promise you won’t forget about this old man.”

“I don’t think I could, even if I wanted to.”

He stood and wrapped Shyon in a hug which she nearly rebuffed out of instinct. But she reciprocated and hid a smile. But, as she pulled away, his necklace came free of its knot and started to fall to the sand at their feet but Shyon caught it. A shock ran up her arm on contact and she quickly pushed it back into Tekka’s hands. He just arched an eyebrow at this action but said nothing.

“I will see you again, Shyon.”

She just nodded and jogged over to her dad.

**

Sleep didn’t come easy that night as she waited for her dad to pilot back to D’Qar. Something was wrong. Shutting her eyes, she hoped for sleep but just saw fire. It was like the flames were embedded on her eyelids. Eventually, her father gave her a sedative and continued to berate himself for not noticing she wasn’t on the ship when he took off.  
“It’s fine, really. I had fun.” Aside from the part when she thought she was going to die.

He just kissed her forehead and whispered another apology into her hair as her eyes finally shut and the fire roared.

_“Can you feel it?” The voice asked again. “Can you feel the power calling to you? It’s yours, take it.” The flames grew higher and higher until her entire vision was red. And then it was dark and all she could see was the masked man in black._

_“Why you?” He asked in a cold, mechanical voice. “Why is it always you?” The man stepped closer and held out a hand and Shyon felt weightless—she was floating._

_There was a warmth that started to grow inside her chest. It didn’t feel like the flames she had been engulfed in nor the hot sun on Jakku. No. It was a simple, pure light that bloomed in her chest. And then she laughed. She smiled until her cheeks hurt._

_But then she fell. And she kept falling, her heart and stomach leaping up to her throat as her arms instinctively shot out in search of something to grab onto to stop the descent._

_But the masked man was gone and all she could hear was laughing._


	2. Soccoro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry. These chapters keep getting longer. And apparently I can only write really dramatic things.  
> But Shyon gets to meet Kylo and there is some Poe!goodness too. I don't know anymore. I give up.

Shyon woke up to someone shaking her. Her eyes opened, blurry at first, to see Poe standing over her. Concern was dotting his face as he sat next to her, his hands still curled around her upper arms.

“You were screaming.”

She blushed. “That’s embarrassing. Sorry.”

“Are you okay? Your dad let it slip what happened on Jakku. That place is brutal. I-”

“I’m actually fine. Just a bad dream. I think the heat messed with my head. I’ll be fine. Thank you, though.” She smiled and noticed his hands were still pressing into her arms, as if afraid to let her go. “Are you okay?”

His hands quickly dropped. “Um, yeah. I’m fine.” Poe didn’t seem convinced but sat back on the edge of her bed. “I’ve seen some pretty messed up stuff, you know. If you need someone to talk to.”

Shyon shrugged. “I’ll keep that in mind.” She paused. “Why are you in here, by the way?”

“Your dad and I were talking about the haul you two just brought it and then he stepped out for a moment. I heard you screaming and thought something was wrong, so-”

“Slow down,” Shyon laughed. “No need to defend yourself to me. I was just curious.”

Poe frowned. “Okay. I just didn’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

“That you sneak into girl’s bedrooms while they’re asleep?”

“Yeah, that.”

After shrugging off the initial discomfort and filling the strange dream away for a later attempt at deciphering, it was easy to talk with Poe. They sat and ate an early breakfast out in the main area and Poe talked to her about his ship, trying to convince her to let him teach her how to fly it.

“It’ll be fun.”

“I’m willing to bet my life that I’d kill myself while trying to takeoff.”

Poe laughed, a smooth sound that might have sent butterflies skittering through her stomach. She wasn’t quite sure though, she’d given up on schoolgirl crushes a long time ago. “I’m sure you’d be fine. Your father is a good pilot and I’m a pretty good teacher, if I do say so myself.”

She shook her head. “Maybe I’ll convince my dad to teach me to fly the Salvager. But there is no way I’m getting into an X-Wing. No way.”

The sun finally started to rise and with the sun came more and more people out onto grounds of the base.

“Shy!” Someone yelled from the opposite end of the runway. “Shy!”

Shyon looked around and saw Kaydel waving furiously as she jumped to be seen over the heads of all the other Resistance officers making their way to their posts.

“I think she’s calling for you,” Poe said with a poorly disguised chuckle.

Shyon just waved back. Shy had been the nickname her mother had given her and her father used it very rarely but it was still strange to hear it coming from someone else’s mouth.

“How are you this morning?” Kaydel asked, a bright smile on her face. “Hi, Poe!”

“Good morning, Lieutenant.” He bowed his head in a goodbye and walked away.

“Isn’t he gorgeous?” Kaydel asked with a laugh. “Prettiest man in the whole Resistance. I’d wager a week’s wages on it.”

It was easy for Shyon to develop an attachment with Kaydel. It had seemed like they had been friends for ages with how easy conversation flowed and how simple it was to form a bond. She showed Shyon around the parts of the base Dees didn’t cover last time and then handed her a bag of clothes she’d found in Shyon’s size.

“You’re a little taller than me so I couldn’t give you mine, but I hope these work.” Kaydel then smiled one of her megawatt smiles and was called to her station to start her shift.

As Shyon put away her new clothing, she heard her father come back into the house.

“Shyon?”

“In my room!” She finished folding a black tunic and looked to see her father walking in with a grim face. “What’s wrong?”

“I have to go out again.”

“Already? We just got back a couple of hours ago. You were never gone this much when we were still on Coruscant.”

“They said that now that I’m here, permanently, I can make more runs.”

She frowned and started to shove a few of her new articles of clothing and other essentials into a rucksack she’d found in the closet. “Well, okay. When do we leave?”

**

The planet Dantooine in the Outer Rim was filled with tall grass and blue sky. It was a little drier than D’Qar but no less beautiful. She and her father were supposed to find the old Rebel base and recover a droid that had recently set out a distress signal before shutting off completely.

General Organa warned Dees and Shyon that the droid was easily recognizable so they should exercise extreme caution when extracting the droid and on the return travel. If they were caught with the R2 unit by the First Order, there was going to be problems.

This ominous statement was enough to make Shyon wary as she stepped off the salvager ship when they landed. Travelling at hyperdrive made her nauseous, she hated to admit, and she nearly face planted when her feet hit solid ground.

The former Rebel base was located somewhere on the other side of a large village that was supposed to be filled with smugglers and other miscreants who only used Dantooine as a hideout when running from the New Republic and the First Order. Or from other gangs. Or the Hutts. Basically anyone. The salvager couldn’t land closer to the former base in fear of alerting the villagers to their presence.

Dees paused behind one of the large bushes. “Are you ready?” He asked, pulling a scarf over his mouth and nose.

“As I’ll ever be,” Shyon responded, pulling her large hood over her head.

“Remember, talk to no one. Let no one distract you. And show-”

“Show no fear.” Shyon smiled. “Let’s go.”

It was fairly easy to get through the village without too much fanfare. A few asked who they were and who they were escaping from but they were easily shrugged off like an annoying insect. When the Rebel base came into view just on the outskirts of the village, Shyon was nearly overcome with a sense of dread.

“Something’s wrong,” she whispered.

“What do you mean?”

“I feel it. Something’s wrong.”

Dees was quiet as the shadows of the base’s structure overtook his face as they ventured closer. “We will move quickly. We can’t come back emptyhanded.”

She just nodded and followed her father into the crumbling cement building. It was dark except for a few flickering overhead lights. Graffiti littered the walls every few paces and generally lent itself to an ominous atmosphere. Dees had pulled out a small scanner and lowered the volume. As it pulsed, it was supposed to send back a signal if anything mechanical was hit with the pulse. The base had been cleared out after the fall of the Empire but General Organa must have had her reasons for sending them back here—right?

They wandered the expansive base for almost an hour before anything actually blipped on the radar. They pushed their way into a back room, small enough to be a closet, and they saw a pile of old Rebel-era clothes shoved into a corner and nearly reaching the ceiling.

Dees hit the scanner. “This thing is a piece of junk.”

Shyon looked at the pile of clothes and reached out. The pile got smaller and smaller as she ripped pieces of cloth away. Then her finger struck something cold.

“Dad!” She called, trying to pull Dees back into the storage closet. “There’s something here!” She pushed the rest of the clothing off and could feel the smile nearly split her face in two. It was an R2 droid.

“You did it, Shy!” He kissed her forehead then frowned. “How do you think we should get it out?”

“You don’t have a plan?” Shyon question, deflating a bit from her excitement. She tapped the droid and groaned when it didn’t even respond. The red light flashing near the projector let her know it was in low power mode. It usually took some pretty ingenious electrical engineering to get older droids out of that mode. And that was skill Shyon knew she didn’t have. She could dismantle it, sure. Just don’t ask her to fix it. Or anything.

“I was just told it was droid. I was hoping it would be another BB unit. I can shove those things in my pack and be done with it.” Dees sighed.

Shyon bit her lip as she thought, a habit that usually left her with bleeding lips and a scolding father, and then groaned. “I have an idea. But you’re not going to like it.”

“Well, it’s better than nothing. What is it?”

“You have to go back to the ship, land it on the other side as I create a diversion. While everyone is distracted, I haul the droid to the ship and we get out of here.”

Dees nodded. “All right. I can do that. What are you going to need for the distraction?”

Shyon paused for a moment before finally coming clean. “I need the explosives.”

Twenty minutes later, she heard the Salvager’s engines roaring as it neared the base and she hit the detonator. The ground shook under her feet as she started to run, dragging the droid behind her in a sling she fashioned from the abandoned clothes. The wheels under the droid were a little slow to keep up at first but soon spun freely as she turned another corner, following the path her father had laid out with glow-tape before he set out to retrieve the salvager.

She was nearly there—she could even see the sunlight start to stream into the base—when a Stormtrooper stepped into her path, blaster raised and ready to fire.

“Surrender the droid and you’ll be free to pass.”

“What droid?” She asked, knowing it was stupid as soon as it passed her lips. But playing stupid was better than showing she was trying to hide something.

“The droid you’re dragging behind you.”

“Oh _this_ droid? No. I claimed it. I’m selling it for parts. That’s the law on this planet. You claim it, it’s yours. So, you have no right to take it from me.” Anger and fear started to pulse through her. The tendrils of the emotions started to twist around her heart. She could feel it clawing at her.

“The First Order-”

“Has no jurisdiction on this planet. Now move.” She waved her hands as she said it and a strange tugging motion snapped through her arm just as the Stormtrooper slammed into the wall as if on his own volition.

Loud footsteps sounded behind her and Shyon set out a spring with the droid wheeling behind her. The villagers were angry—for good reason, she had basically destroyed a large portion of the their starships. Oh well.

The salvager had just landed as she sprinted out. The back cargo door opened and Shyon pulled the droid into the back without issue.

But then the noise of a familiar starship caught her ear. It was the black First Order command shuttle. It landed atop the roof of the base and quickly Stormtroopers ran out, stepping into formation with their blasters raised. And then he stepped out—Kylo Ren. A chill shot down Shyon’s arms as she looked at him but it lasted only a moment before that strange sense of warmth once again bloomed in her chest.

“Dad—close it! We’re surrounded!”

The door started to close just as Kylo Ren raised his hand and Shyon felt herself floating and then the air shot out of her lungs. It felt like she was being pulled out of the ship. He was doing this. He was pulling her out of the ship.

But she dropped to the ground as the door finally shut and the ship hit hyper-drive.

“We can’t go to D’Qar,” Shyon wheezed as she staggered to her feet. The sense of dread was still coming, still pouring through her.

“What are you talking about?”

“We’re being followed.”

“How-”

“Take us to Jakku. We need to throw them off.” She paused. “Tuanul. Go to Tuanul on Jakku.”

Dees didn’t ask any other questions but changed directions.

**

Lor San Tekka was as accommodating as ever when they arrived. He helped them settle into their temporary lodgings in one of the few vacant huts in the village and introduced them to the rest of the villagers. It was as peaceful and quaint as Shyon imagined. There was true happiness here. True, it wasn’t very advanced nor wealthy—but there was happiness.

Dees, apparently worn out from the day’s festivities went to bed shortly after the sun set. Shyon once again found herself sitting at a table with Tekka. He explained the importance of the droid—it had belonged to Luke Skywalker. And it had been last seen with him before he disappeared.

“I do believe the Resistance is hoping the droid will help them find Luke.”

“That’s possible. But I have a feeling nothing is that simple.”

Tekka smiled and looked at Shyon who was busy trying to brush dust off the R2 droid. “You are troubled.”

Shyon sighed. “Are you sure you have no sensitivity to the Force? You’re mighty perceptive.”

Tekka chuckled and placed a wrinkled hand over hers, halting her nervous movements. “Tell me what happened on Dantooine.”

“I don’t know how it happened. But I made a Stormtrooper…move. He flew right into a wall and I didn’t even touch him. And then Kylo Ren showed up and I felt this strange…”

“Connection?”

“I don’t know. He lifted me up without touching me.”

“He is known for choking people without laying a finger on them-”

“No. No. It wasn’t like that. It was as if I was floating, weightless. I don’t understand. Was he just trying to get me off the ship with the droid?”

Tekka was silent for a moment and he sat back in his chair. “Tell me how you felt when you saw the Stormtrooper.”

“I was scared. And angry. I could see the sunlight, I could see my way out of that stupid base and then he just showed up.”

“Did you feel anything afterward?”

“No. I was too worried about making it off the planet alive. There was a chill—I was suddenly cold when Kylo Ren showed up.” She stopped for a moment. “Is something wrong with me? Did I do something wrong?”

Tekka smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “No, no, my sweet girl. I just wish Luke was here. He could explain things better than me.” He scrubbed his eyes and then smiled again. “You are special, Shyon.”

“There’s nothing special about me.”

The old man shook his head. “You will learn.” His fingers brushed against the pendant at his neck and he changed the subject. The rest of the night was spent talking about his adventures across the galaxy. It was fascinating to hear and before she knew it, the sun had risen and Dees was calling her back to the ship. As they stood in front of the ship, Tekka took Shyon’s face in his warm hands. “You are destined for great things. Never be afraid.”

Shyon could only nod and thank him again for his hospitality before her father called her back to the ship.

**

General Organa was pleased when Shyon and Dees presented her with the droid.

“Hello, old friend,” she said in a quiet voice as she swept a bit of dust away from his hologram projector.

“Ma’am, I’m afraid he’s in low power mode.”

The older woman frowned but nodded. “That was to be expected. The things poor R2 has seen.” She called over a few other officers and had the droid carefully taken downstairs to a charging station. “But, I can hope that he will wake up and tell us anything about Luke.” A sigh nearly deflated the general’s proud stature but she smiled and shook Dees’ hand. “Thank you for bringing him back.”

“My pleasure ma’am.”

Leia held out a hand to Shyon and Shyon carefully took it but froze as her skin touched the warm palm of the war hero. It was instinctual, like recoiling from a frightened, cornered animal. And Leia felt it too, the strange sensation running up their arms and settling at the base of their skulls like a coiled snake.

“Something happened on Dantooine.” It was a statement of fact.

“No. Nothing happened.” Shyon attempted to pull her hand back but Leia held firm.

“You feel it. Don’t you?”

“Please, let go of my hand.” Shyon’s motto of not showing fear was starting to crack. It wouldn’t save her this time.

“Don’t be afraid of it. It’s a blessing.”

“I don’t want it,” Shyon answered in a broken voice.

“We don’t get to make that choice. It chooses us.”

“What’s going on?” Dees asked, looking back and forth between Shyon and Leia.

Leia finally released Shyon’s hand and smiled. “Your daughter is talented. A force to be reckoned with.” And with that, she left.

“What was that?” Dees asked.

“I don’t know. I’m going to bed.” Shyon spun on her heel and started making her way toward the stairs up to the landing pad.

“You slept almost the whole way back.”

“Please, just let me sleep.”

But sleep was not peaceful.

Again, it was filled with fire and screams. But she saw the destruction this time. It was a village burning to the ground as the villagers screamed, running from Stormtroopers at they fired. Everything was blurred as if viewed through a dusty lens. And an old man was on his knees in front of Kylo Ren. The cloaked man then raised his red sword and struck.

Shyon woke up right as she landed on the stone floor. She had rolled off her bed with the nightmare. It was still dark, no trace of sunlight on the horizon. Her father’s snoring could be heard even out in the common room. She hadn’t changed out of yesterday’s clothes and didn’t have the motivation to do so now. Before she stepped outside, she saw a note her father had taped to the door.

_Love you._

It was written in her father’s familiar, messy scrawl. A man of few words indeed.

She walked out after pocketing the note and breathed in the fresh air. It was quiet. Most were still asleep with only a skeleton crew manning the controls during the dark hours. She wandered the base for a few minutes before walking down to the main control room. 

She wasn’t surprised to see General Organa still pouring over the table, her bright eyes tired but still calculating.

“Good morning, Shyon,” she said without looking up.

“Good morning.” Why did Shyon have to walk down here? Why did she make this obviously terrible decision?

“Couldn’t sleep?” 

“Bad dream.”

“Me too,” Leia said, finally looking up from the table. “About my son.”

“Oh? Is he a fighter-”

“He’s Kylo Ren.” The air seemed sucked out of the room with those few syllables. “My son is Kylo Ren. I keep seeing him in my head; seeing him killing, destroying on behalf of Snoke.” 

Like the fall of the Empire, Shyon had only heard whispers about Snoke, the mysterious leader of the First Order. 

“I’m sorry…” Shyon had never been very good with words.

“I know you feel him. I know you can.” Leia straightened up and backed Shyon into a corner with just a few aggressive steps. “You can feel the hurt, the pain he is in. You feel it like I do. You are part of this, part of the Force.”

“I-”

“This isn’t something you can deny. It isn’t something anyone can deny. You can help us. You can help us save the galaxy.”

“From your son?”

“From Snoke! From the First Order!” Leia's dark eyes were nearly ablaze.

“I can’t fight them. I can’t even take on a Stormtrooper without falling on my ass. I’m nothing special. I’ve always been nothing special. That’s what I want to be. Invisible.”

“You don’t always get what you want.”

“You can’t make me do this!”

“I’m not making you do anything. I’m asking you to help.” Leia reached out and gently touched Shyon’s face. “I’ve seen you two together. You can save him. Bring him to the light, help the galaxy…bring my son back.” She paused and Shyon could see the tears in Leia’s eyes. “I’ve seen it. You can save him.”

“How can you see this? I’ve never met him.” She gently pulled away from Leia’s hands, afraid to anger her.

“The force—it can give you visions of the future. They can come when you’re asleep or wide awake. And I’ve seen them. You save my son.”

Shyon was quiet for a moment. “I have dreams too. Of fire and death and destruction. And you know who is in every one of my dreams? Kylo Ren.” Shyon was seething, nearly enraged. “I am not some savior for your son. He doesn’t want to be saved. You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.”

Leia stepped back as if she had been slapped. “I’ve seen it. I’ve seen it.” She repeated. 

“He scares. Please…just let me help my father. I don’t want to be in the middle of this—I didn’t even want to be here.”

Leia straightened her shoulders, the general’s mask once again falling into place. “Your father will need to pick up a shipment of goods from Takodana. I expect you to travel with him.”

“Noted. Thank you, General.” Shyon then bolted back up the stairs and into the first light of dawn.

**

Takodana was beautiful and Maz’s castle reflected the old world beauty of the planet.

“Just…don’t stare,” Her father warned before stepping inside.

Shyon did her best to keep her gaze near the back wall, unfocused on anyone’s face or extra limbs—or lack thereof. 

“Jerriko!” A short, orange woman cheered as she approached. 

“Maz, it’s fantastic to see you.” He knelt and gave her a friendly hug.

“Come, come. We must have a drink and you can introduce me to your daughter.” 

Shyon shot a look toward her father who only shrugged in response. The table the sat at was toward the back and already plated with an assortment of drinks and strangely colored fruits. 

“Maz, this is my daughter, Shyon. Shyon, this is Maz.”

Maz held out a small hand which Shyon gently took. But, she was surprised to feel how strong the woman’s grip was—and how Maz refused to let go of her hand. “Ah, the trouble consumes you as well.”

“What?” Shyon asked, continuing to try and pull her hand away. She failed.

“There are paths in front of you, Little Jerriko. Some light, some dark—and some that are both. But you first must take a step.”

“Shyon?” Her father questioned—and Shyon had nearly forgotten his presence at this moment.

“I know you can hear it calling to you, **him** calling to you.”

“I hear nothing,” Shyon said, surprised at how strong her voice sounded. 

“Do not lie, little Jerriko. Fate…the Force, will not be ignored.” Maz climbed onto the table, uncaring about the smashed glasses or toppling food and shoved her face close to Shyon’s, noses nearly touching. “No matter how far you run, how much you suppress what you feel, how much you deny—the Force always gets what it wants.”

“Maz, what are you talking about?” Dees finally asked as Maz settled back down into her seat and took a drink.

“Your daughter can sense the Force, wield it—like a Jedi. But she is scared and unwilling to accept her fate.”

“Shyon—”

“Please, just don’t say anything.”

**

The ride back to D’Qar, the salvager now brimming with supplies Maz had pilfered, acquired, and bartered for strewn about the back loading dock, was quiet.

“Were you never going to tell me?” 

“Tell you what? I have weird dreams and can maybe move things around when I’m angry? No. You’d think I was having some sort of mental break and you’d send me away.”

“I could never send you away,” Dees said in a quiet voice.

Shyon was quiet for a moment before continuing. “I’m scared. I’m so scared of what’s going to happen; to me, to the Resistance, to the galaxy.”

Shyon paused to take in a lungful of air. “I never wanted to be special. Special gets you taken. Special makes you different. I just wanted to be left alone.”

“You will always be special to me, Shy.” Dees’ shoulders slumped. “Did I do that to you? Make you feel like you had to be-”

“No! No, it was never you. I just wanted to survive.”

Silence once again reigned in the ship.

“Have you heard of Kylo Ren?” She asked, already knowing the answer.

“Of course I have. Why?”

“I keep seeing him in my dreams. And the General thinks that I have a connection to him. I…I think I’m supposed to meet him or something.”

“ **No** ,” Dees said, the most forceful he had ever sounded. “No. You don’t have to do anything for him.”

“The General-”

“You are my daughter, Shyon. I know you. You don’t have a connection to that evil creature of a man. You are a good person—my…my daughter is good.”

Shyon just reached over and lightly squeezed her father’s hand, knowing he was upset. They didn’t say anything else.

**

“Shyon!”

She turned at the sound of her name to see Poe Dameron jogging up to her as she helped her father unload the latest haul off the salvager.

“Hey, Dameron. Back already? You’re making the rest of the pilots look bad when you come back from dangerous missions quickly and without a scratch on you.” She laughed. Over the past few months while living on the Resistance base, it had been easy to form a friendship with Dameron. He was easy to talk to. Sure, her flirted with everything that walked—but he was fun. When Kaydel was busy, Poe always seemed to be around. Of course, he was busy most of the time but it seemed like he always had a moment or two to spare for her if she was around. He made her feel jittery, nervous but in a good way.

He chuckled. “I am the best pilot in the resistance, according to some.”

Shyon just shook her head and then noticed her father waving her away. He could finish unloading.

“Of course you are. I was thinking your ego needed a little boosting.”

He laughed again, his black curls ruffled in the wind. He knew he was handsome—Shyon knew he was handsome—everyone knew he was handsome. It was almost blasé to admit Shyon had a small crush on the man. But so did almost everyone else on the base. Who wouldn’t be attracted to him?

“You wound me, Shyon.”

“I’m only here to make sure your head still fits in your X-Wing.”

“Dameron!” Another pilot yelled from behind them. “You ask her yet?”

“Shut up!” Poe tried to yell in retort but only laughed again.

“Ask me what?” Shyon asked, completely prepared to be asked to go another planet to pick up some sort of alcohol without telling the General. She’d been getting flying lessons from her father for the salvager and sometimes did make a run to Hosnian Prime, the seat of the New Republic, for alcohol after the pilots and mechanics pooled their credits. Her father seemed to turn a blind eye to this and Leia was none the wiser—maybe. That woman seemed to know everything. It had been a handful of months since their altercation in the underground bunker but neither seemed to talk about it. Shyon’s dreams still came and went but the strange ability to move things didn’t surface again.

“I was, um, wondering if you’d like to go up to Hosnian Prime later?”

“For more booze? Sure. I just need to fill up the salvager—”

“No!” Poe interjected, looking flustered. “I was hoping you’d like to go to a cantina that is supposed to have really great drinks.”

Shyon frowned. “I thought you said you didn’t need booze.”

“He’s asking you on a date!” Another pilot boomed, his voice echoing across the tarmac.

Heat instantly took over her cheeks as the pilots laughed. “Oh, um, I-”

“I just thought that we could spend some time together…away from the base.”

Oh no. What was she supposed to say? This had never happened before. “That sounds like fun…?”

“You seem a little apprehensive.”

“I am. I don’t think we’re supposed to leave base-”

“Everyone leaves base. Except for the General and your dad.” Poe scratched the back of his neck. “So, you wanna go?”

She paused. “Sure.”

**

Kaydel helped her get ready while gushing about how lucky Shyon was and making her promise to come back and divulge every detail.

“I even want to know what song was playing, okay? Every detail.”

Shyon just laughed and tried not to feel ridiculous in the short dress Kaydel had somehow convinced her to wear.

Dees was happy that Poe was taking Shyon out. “You need some fun. And while hauling and smuggling for the Resistance can be an adventure, I know you want to spend time with people who aren’t your father.”

Poe was waiting for her next to a freighter starship, wearing a basic tunic and trousers. His hair, of course, was perfectly tousled—something that irked Shyon who spent almost an hour trying to tame her strawberry blonde waves.

They exchanged pleasantries before Poe helped her into the co-pilot’s seat and they were off. The whole trip only took a few minutes when they hit hyperdrive and Poe easily landed the large ship and made small talk with the guard at the dock.

The cantina was buzzing with life when they entered and Poe pressed a warm hand to her lower back and guided her toward a small table in a corner. He nodded at the Cerean bartender before they settled into their seats. Almost immediately, two drinks were set down in front of them, fizzing and bubbling in a multitude of colors.

“What is it?”

“It’s the house specialty. Don’t ask me to pronounce it. I’m sure I’d offend someone.”

Shyon sipped on the drink and nearly spit it out—the bubbles were a bit too intense at first. But it was tart and sugary at the same time and reminded her of candy she used to sneak when she thought her father wasn’t looking.

“So, tell me about yourself.”

“Um, there’s really not much to say,” Shyon said with a wince. This wasn’t going well.

“Oh, c’mon. Your dad used to tell me all about how you would just pull everything in the store apart to find out how it worked.”

“And then I never figured out how to put it back together. Not much has changed there. I’m still a crap mechanic.”

“Very good at creating distractions though. I haven’t forgotten about the day we met.”

“Oh no,” she said with a blush. “Why do you have to remember that? I was a mess. I electrocuted myself-”

“And saved your dad and me. I won’t forget that.”

Shyon hurriedly took another swig of her drink. “What made you become a pilot?”

He explained that both of his parents fought alongside Leia, his mother being a pilot in the Rebellion. “She’d put me to bed with tales of their adventures. It was just fate.”

Their conversation continued for a bit as the drinks kept flowing, talking about their vastly different childhoods and then Poe just stared at her for a moment as she babbled about how other students used to tie knots in her hair when she was at school.

“What?” she asked. Was there something on her face?

“I just…there’s something about you.”

“Good or bad?”

“Definitely good.”

Shyon was about to open her mouth to ask him to elaborate when he leaned across the table and pressed his lips to hers for just a moment before settling back down in his seat. Shyon just sat, frozen, in her seat, her hazel eyes a bit wide.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.”

“Um, good. Good for you.” She coughed and then took another drink.

“Did I upset you?” Poe asked, eyebrows scrunching together.

“No! No, of course not. I’m just caught off guard. So, uh, how long have you wanted to do that? Just curious.”

“Since I saw you on Coruscant.”

Shyon hummed and stirred her nearly empty drink with the plastic straw. “Hm. Interesting.”

The rest of the date progressed nicely with Poe sneaking chances to kiss her cheek, making her blush more and more each time. She’d never admit it out loud (especially as her 25th birthday loomed closer and closer), but this was her first date and Shyon was really happy she got to experience it with Poe. They both sat in a content but tired silence as he piloted them back to D’Qar and Poe made it a point to walk her back to the small house she shared with her dad.

“Can’t have you walking around in the dark.”

“I do it all the time,” Shyon said in retort.

“Trying to be romantic,” Poe deadpanned.

“Oh, right. I’ll be quiet.”

Poe just laughed as they reached the front door. “Did you have fun tonight?”

“I did. Thank you.”

Poe smiled and stepped just a bit closer to her. “Can I take you out again?”

“Of course, I mean, if we both aren’t out on missions or-”

He leaned forward and captured her mouth in another kiss and she nearly squeaked in surprise when it went a little farther than just a simple brushing of lips. Sure, she had gotten hot and heavy with a few boys when she went through her very short rebellious stage in the last year of school, but this caught her off guard. He finally stepped back and smiled again.

“I’ll figure something out.”

**

The next day, after she gave a very rapid rundown of everything that happened to Kaydel, Shyon was informed that she and her father had to go to Socorro, a desert planet in the Outer Rim, to pick up new computers, parts for droids, and various fuselages and parts for the assorted starships the Resistance was maintaining.

Just as Shyon was turning to leave the tarmac to inform her father, Leia stopped her. “Shyon, wait.” The General’s face was taut with worry as if she were battling something.

“Yes, General?” Unease started to eat at Shyon’s stomach and it continued to grow as Leia stepped closer.

“I need you to be careful. Something…just be careful.”

“Of course, General.” Shyon nodded and sped walk away, nearly queasy now. She saw her father talking with R6 as he loaded a bit of food into the starship.

The droid they’d found on their last mission to Corellia now helped pilot the Salvager. R6-C4 was a bit mouthy, in Shyon’s opinion, but did make her laugh. And she was thankful her father could now grab a quick nap if needed on their long-haul missions instead of forcing himself to stay awake. R6 was white and forest green with scratches all over his face plate but Shyon knew that was because he had been thrown into a waste-dump by accident. He had wandered toward them, nearing low power, when they were picking up their haul of food and clothing. Dees had taken a shine to his abrasive humor and it was like Shyon had gained an annoying cousin or something.

Shyon told him about the mission and they were taking off within an hour. She told Dees about Leia’s warning and his face grew grim.

“I want you to stay in the ship this time. I’ll take R6 with me.”

“No. Where you go, I go, remember?”

“Not this time, Shy.”

“You can’t protect me from everything. But I’d feel a hell of a lot better if I could keep an eye on you.”

They argued back and forth for a moment before Dees finally agreed to let Shyon off the ship—if she carried a blaster. Shyon happily agreed.

When they finally reached Socorro, the unease Shyon had felt on D’Qar had blossomed to near panic coupled with nausea.

“Are you ready?” Dees asked as he handed her a small blaster.

“As I’ll ever be.”

Dees nodded and kissed her forehead before opening the back hatch. Socorro, like Jakku, was arid and filled with sand. However, Socorro’s sands were black and the planet actually boasted cities—which were almost entirely filled with criminals, gangs, and fellow smugglers.

The first part of the mission was easy. They met with their contact, traded pleasantries and credits, before they started to haul the items toward the starship.

“Hey, baby!” Someone shouted from one of windows above them. “How many credits for _you_?”

R6 beeped indignantly.

“Yeah, I’d like to see him fall from the window too,” Shyon said from beneath her scarf. She and her father both had scarves wrapped around their faces to protect them from the random gusts of wind which would shoot sand and trash right into their faces.

Just as they were loading the last ion engine for the Star Cruiser, Shyon’s panic spiked and she ducked just as a blaster went off. The energy bolt buried itself in the hull of the salvager and she turned to see Stormtroopers starting to surround the ship. The body of their contact was already being trampled into the sand by the masked soldiers.

“Stop! On the orders of the First Order! You are ordered to surrender!” One yelled.

R6 let out an angry squeal and brandished his own small blaster.

“Shyon! Get in the ship!” He was sprinting toward her, fear etched into his face.

She could see him, see the blue in his eyes, as she reached out her hand to help him onto the back hatch. And then she heard the familiar sound of a blaster.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Dees threw himself over Shyon but she felt the warmth of blood coating her fingers as they tumbled back to the sand. And it wasn’t hers.

“Dad?” She asked, gently laying him on his side on the sand.

“Shy, you have to run.” His breathing was labored and blood started to dribble out of the side of his mouth, his eyes unable to focus.

Tears started to blur her vision. “Not without you.”

“I love you, Shy.”

“I love you too.”

But he had stopped breathing before she could answer.

The Stormtroopers stalked forward, their blasters still raised. “Surrender!”

R6 sped to her side, and beeped.

“No. I need you to go. Go back and deliver the goods.”

He beeped again.

“That’s an order, R6. I’ll find my own way back.”

The droid sped up the back hatch and disappeared into the back.

Emotions were pulling at Shyon, trying to tear her to pieces. Devastation, disbelief, guilt, and anger. Mostly anger.

“Resistance trash, I said surrender! Or you’ll end up like your pathetic comrade.”

“He wasn’t my comrade,” Shyon said, feeling herself shake. Tears started to track down her face without her knowing. “He was my father.”

A Stormtrooper laughed. “That makes no difference.”

The engine to the salvager roared to life suddenly and the back hatch started to close. Instinctively, the Stormtroopers started to fire, decorating the underside of the salvager with small holes.

“Take the girl, she may be useful.” Two Stormtroopers approached her quickly. One started to drag Dees’ body out of her arms as she was hauled to her feet. His body was dumped back onto the sand without a care and Shyon felt something snap inside.

And she let out a scream.

It seemed to carry power with it, ripping the scarf from her face. Stormtroopers were thrown back, slamming into the surrounding buildings and splitting their armor. Buildings shook and started to crumble and sand shot away from her as if powered by an engine. The salvager was lifted higher into the air before it hit hyperdrive and disappeared.

By the time her throat was hoarse and the scream died out, Shyon felt lightheaded. Her father’s body lay at her feet, untouched by the strange force of the scream. Her shoulders started to shake with sobs.

He was gone. Her only family. Her hero.

Gone.

Shyon looked around and saw the damage she had done. Bodies were broken, mangled, scattered across the makeshift landing ground. The small structures that had once surrounded it were in ruins. But she didn’t care. All she could feel was the ache in her chest.

And then she heard it. A strange buzzing, humming noise. And he stood in the midst of the rubble. Flanked by four more Stormtroopers, who had their blasters aimed at her, stood Kylo Ren. He held his red sword at his side.

“Impressive,” he said in the cold, mechanical voice she’d heard so many times in her dreams.

“What?” Shyon asked, too broken to be afraid. And she still heard her father telling her to show no fear.

“That destruction comes so naturally to you. And destruction on a massive scale. You’ve killed nearly all my men.”

“They killed my father.”

Kylo just hummed in agreement. “They were never meant to kill him. I gave them orders to take you both alive. General Hux must have ordered differently.”

“You should train you men better.”

“I agree.” The sword suddenly shut off and Kylo took a few measured steps toward her. “I know you.”

“You do.” She nodded.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been told the Galaxy, the Force does what it wants.”

“You feel it. I know you do.” There was something pleading in his tone. But by the way the Stormtroopers didn’t react, she noticed she was the only one who heard it.

“I don’t want to. I want to bury my father and I want to disappear.” She straightened her shoulders despite the tears still slowly sliding down her sand-ravaged cheeks. “And you will let me. I have nothing for you. My father knew everything. And your men killed him.”

Kylo was quiet for a moment before stepping even closer to her. The closer he got, the more she felt the familiar warmth in her chest—it was a strange feeling. It was a dichotomy between the hollow ache she felt. “Please,” she pleaded. “Please don’t come any closer. I can’t feel right now. I don’t feel right. I could hurt you.” She didn’t know why she didn’t want to hurt him but there was something preventing her from wanting to harm him, despite knowing what he’s done.

“Your father was never supposed to die. I want you to know that.”

Shyon nodded.

“What’s your name?” He took a few steps closer. The warmth continued to grow.

“Shyon. Shyon Jerriko.”

“I’m-”

“I know who you are.” She took a deep breath. “Please, just let me go. I need to go.”

The masked man paused and she could feel him looking her over, evaluating. “Where will you go?”

“Away.”

“That isn’t a life.”

“And what you’re doing is? Don’t you dare pass judgement on me as you hide behind a mask and follow orders of another. Snoke is your master. I no longer have any ties to the Resistance. I am no threat to you or your mission.”

“But you could-”

“I am not joining you. I am not what you want me to be. I’m not a Jedi or whatever you are. I am nothing. I am no one.”

“You will never be nothing to me.”

“You don’t know me. It’s just a weird cosmic joke, what we feel. One that I hope lessens with time.” She didn’t mean it. She craved the warmth he brought, the sweet serenity. Now, more than ever.

“It’s not safe. Anywhere.”

“I think I can take care of myself.” She spared another glance to the broken bodies of the Stormtroopers. There was no guilt in her heart. Not over them.

“You need training. What you did-”

“I hope to never do again. Please, just let me go.”

“I could take you, if I wanted.” They were nearly touching now, gravitating toward each other with small steps and unconscious movements.

“But you won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

It was quiet between them before he bent down to her ear. Her heartrate spiked and she could hear him chuckle behind the mask. “I need you to raise your hand when I tell you to. And then I need you to run. Come back later for your father, but run when I tell you.”

Shyon looked at him. His gaze hidden behind the mask but she could still feel it.

“Ready, Shy?” He asked and Shyon nearly froze at the sound of the nickname.

“Ready.”

Kylo put his hand behind his back. “Now,” he said.

Shyon shoved her hand out, over his hunched shoulder and with a flick of his wrist, Kylo sent the remaining Stormtroopers flying. He threw himself backwards into the sand and, without being told, Shyon ran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to give a huuuuuge thank you to everyone who left comments, kudos, and bookmarks. You are all amazing. I had no idea this many people would like my long-winded story. You are all amazing.


	3. Jakku

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my darlings.  
> Thank you, again, to everyone who left comments, kudos, and bookmarks! You mean the world to me.   
> I'm very sorry that this chapter doesn't have much action in it--but I promise you will like the next chapter (I hope)!

Shyon had been forced to give her father a Jedi’s burial. Tekka had told her about how Jedi’s burned the remains of their fallen comrades and, as Shyon learned, the sands of Socorro left her no choice. She wasn’t going to let her father’s remains be uncovered by wind and then be picked apart by the planet’s animals.

She had been picked up fairly quickly by the Resistance. They’d sent a ship back for her after R6 delivered her message. Kaydel had run out of the ship as it landed and wrapped Shyon in a tight hug. They didn’t say anything but the Lieutenant kept her hand tucked into Shyon’s, a gentle grounding that Shyon didn’t know she needed.

It was when Shyon told Kaydel that she wasn’t going back to base did words finally start to flow. “I just need time.”

Kaydel’s brown eyes filled with tears but they didn’t fall. “Of course. The General will understand. I’ll explain it to her.” She sniffled and Shyon squeezed her hand. “But where will you go?”

Shyon paused. “Actually, I was hoping I could visit an old friend on Jakku.”

Kaydel nodded and she broke away to go speak to the pilot. It was a hushed conversation but Kaydel came back with a small smile. “It’s done.”

**

It had been a month since Kaydel had persuaded the pilot to leave Shyon with Tekka on Jakku. The villagers were more than welcoming and helped her acclimate to the different culture. Shyon passed most of her time helping the moisture farmers and reading the Jedi texts Tekka had at his home as he taught her all he knew about the Republic, Rebellion, and Jedi. It was quiet, peaceful—just like it had been before. It was almost enough for Shyon to cope.

She knew it. The villagers probably knew it. Tekka definitely knew it.

As the sun set again, Shyon was called into Tekka’s hut. It had become a nightly ritual for them to eat together and talk about the Jedi texts. Tonight, Shyon decided, she would ask him about the odd connection she felt to Kylo Ren.

“In all your research, in all of your exploring, have you ever come across the Force binding two people together?”

Tekka nodded without missing a beat. “Yes, but there are two types. The most common usually happens between Padawan and Master—almost a familial bond—but there were cases, before the Code was established, that Jedi were given a bond to the person their soul reaches for from the Force. It was particularly powerful when it was between two Force wielders.”

“It’s poetic,” Shyon said, feeling the strange warmth in her chest again. “And after the Code?”

“Jedi were customarily forbidden from marrying except in extreme circumstances. Emotional attachments were taught to be shunned while they were still younglings. Loyalties were to be to the Jedi and the Republic and nothing else. If anyone felt the bond to someone, they didn’t speak of it. Repressed it.”

“It sounds lonely.”

Tekka nodded. “It was, for some. Obi-Wan Kenobi, despite being completely dedicated to the Jedi admitted to falling in love.”

“What happened?” Shyon asked, genuinely curious to know what happened to the great Jedi Master’s love.

“She died. She died in his arms.”

As a wave of sadness rushed over her, it was quickly replaced by the warmth continuing to bloom in her chest, almost if it had sensed her melancholy.

“Master Luke altered the code when he became the leader of the Jedi. He saw love not as a force of emotional disparity, but of hope, of power. He saw goodness in Love—after all, it was what saved him.”

By now Shyon knew every detail of Anakin Skywalker’s redemption in his final moments, how he sacrificed himself to save his son.

Tekka finished his stew before continuing. “Do you feel it, little Jerriko?”

“I do. And it scares me.”

Tekka frowned, his white eyebrows pulling together over his concerned blue eyes. “What troubles you?”

“Who I am being pulled toward is not a man of the Light. At least, not completely.” There. She had said it. She had admitted who she was being pulled toward.

“Kylo Ren,” Tekka said with a nod of his head.

“How do you know?”

“There are very few people in this galaxy who could cause you so much conflict.” He reached across the table and tapped a finger against her forehead. A grandfatherly gesture he frequently used when they were having their discussions. “You may think you’re hiding the struggle well—and maybe to the untrained eye, you are—but I see it. The grief from your father, the warmth you feel from the bond—it is at war inside you.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Shyon said, feeling the sting of tears hit her eyes. She hadn’t cried since she watched her father’s ashes be carried away in the wind. She didn’t want to start again now. “My father always said I was a good person. I want to be a good person. Wanting him is a betrayal of that, isn’t it?”

Tekka shook his head and firmly grasped Shyon’s hands in his own. “Before Kylo Ren became who he was, he was a force of light. His mother and father were warriors for the Light in the Rebellion. You know them.”

Shyon nodded. She knew Leia Organa—she had admitted to Kylo being her son. And although she hadn’t met Han Solo yet, the stories of him brought enough evidence of his good nature. How could someone that came from two sources of Light turn so dark?

“That is one of the reasons I know Kylo can be redeemed. But you, you have a hold on him like no one ever will.”

“But what if I am…not good enough? What if I fall too?” Her fears were starting to spill out.

Tekka shook his head again and squeezed her hands. “The Force Bond is never an act of darkness. It is made of pure light.” The older man stood and disappeared to his room for a moment but returned with a worn, tattered book which barely overtook his hand. “I showed this to Master Luke when I met him. Even he didn’t know it existed. It was another motivation for him to foster the new generation of Jedi with love and to teach them to love whenever they could. I’d like you to read it, consider it yours when you are finished. I hope it eases your mind and your heart.” He gently pushed the book into Shyon’s hands and smiled. But the smile didn’t last. “I know you’re scared, Shyon. There is pressure on you from all sides. But you must stay true to yourself. You are a good person.”

She nodded, pulling the small book closer to her chest. It was as if her emotions were desperately trying to escape her chest, tangling themselves up inside of her until she was left confused and queasy.

“Have you been told what Kylo has done?” Tekka asked in soft voice.

“I’ve seen it,” she answered. She saw the massacre of the new Jedi, the quick killings in the name of the First Order, the destruction of villages. She’d seen all of it. The bond had shown her all of it.

“Then you know why…why it is so important that we know he has a bond like this. It is a light within him. It can guide him back.”

**

Shyon sat up with a gasp, another dream ripping her from sleep. It wasn’t of Kylo. No, this dream showed her Luke Skywalker.

Not caring about what time it was, Shyon rushed from her small hut to Tekka’s and roused him from sleep.

“What is it?”

“I need the pendant Skywalker gave you.”

Tekka fumbled for a moment but removed the necklace from around his neck and dropped it into Shyon’s waiting palm. She winced when she prepared what she knew she had to do. “I’m so sorry,” she muttered before smashing the pendant on the table, breaking it into small pieces.

“Shyon—”

Before he could properly reprimand her, she plucked what she was looking for out of the wreckage. It was a small, nearly antiquated, data storage unit. “You need to get this to the Resistance.” She placed it in Tekka’s hands and made him curl his fingers around it.

“You—”

“Skywalker trusted you with this. It is a map to him, to where he’s been hiding. You need to get this to the general. Promise me you’ll do this, please.” She held his hands in hers. “Please,” Shyon repeated.

“Where will you go?”

Shyon shook her head. “I have to leave. I’m afraid that Kylo could see what I saw. I want to lead him away from you, from this beautiful, peaceful village you created.”

Tekka nodded and tapped a finger against her forehead again. “Lead him on a merry chase.”

They stood in silence before Shyon wrapped her arms around Tekka and squeezed. “I will miss you.”

“We will see each other again.”

Shyon was quick to gather her meager belongings and hop onto the desert speeder bike she had stored behind the village when she first arrived. It had been a gift from Kaydel along with a handful of credits and a few changes of clothing and a blaster. (Shyon wasn’t entirely sure Kaydel had the clearance to just give the speeder bike to her when they landed, but didn’t complain.) She sped toward Niima Outpost, knowing the trip would take several hours, but she didn’t care.

She needed to keep Tekka safe. Safe from the man who filled her with fear and warmth.

**

Niima Outpost was still asleep when she arrived. The only person awake was Unkar Platt, the unscrupulous Junkboss of the planet.

“Jerriko!” He boomed, scratching his fat belly. “I thought I’d seen the last of you months ago. Where’s your father?”

“Dead if you’re thinking about letting bounty hunters into your outpost again.”

Unkar Platt went quiet.

“I need to get off your planet.”

“Yeah?” He eyed her speeder bike. “It’ll cost you.”

Anger started to beat in her chest. How dare he try to take advantage of her when he had nearly gotten her father killed months ago?

“You will get me safely off this planet or so help me—”

His glassy eyes went blank and his hunched back was rigid. “I will get you safely off this planet.”

Shyon’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she realized what was happening. It was mind control—something she had read about. Thinking quickly, she continued, “You will find me the best transport you have off this planet within a day.”

“You will leave this planet within a day on the best transport I can find.”

“And you will not touch my speeder bike.”

“I will not touch your speeder bike.”

“Good.”

Unkar Platt shook and squinted at Shyon for a moment before lumbering off toward his hut, presumably to make good on the things he just agreed to do. The sun started to rise shortly after and Shyon took refuge from the direct sunlight under a canopy. The heat no longer bothered her as much as it used to—her time with Tekka gave her plenty of sunburn and a new tolerance for extreme heat. Her freckles, which she thought had faded when she hit age 10, were now back with a vengeance, dotting her nose and the tops of her shoulders like angry spots of dust and dirt.

The outpost was soon buzzing with life, scavengers trading in their finds before setting out in search of another find, traders coming and out, Constable Zuvio and his assorted militia men walking around and harassing whomever they saw fit.

Eventually, Unkar Platt walked over to her. “I’ve found you transport to Naboo.”

**

Naboo was beautiful. It had been taken over by the Empire but managed to retain almost all of its autonomy through political subterfuge and secrets. Now it was part of the New Republic.

The trader, Maneh, she caught a ride from was a kind gentleman who said Shyon reminded him of his sister so he happily agreed to help her get settled on the new planet. He had been traveling to Jakku to trade for older starship parts—he preferred not going to Coruscant because of the overwhelming First Order presence on the planet. Shyon didn’t blame him. He was one of the many mechanics for the Royal Fleet and some of their older ships were in disrepair and it was his specialty to find the parts to help rebuild.

When they landed, his wife Sala, a Junior Royal Advisor of Culture, was happy to help her as well, lending her Naboo clothing and storing her speeder bike in their garage. They were effortlessly kind and Sala even managed to guilt her father into giving Shyon a job at the Royal Library near the Royal Palace in Theed.

“It won’t be anything fancy, but it comes with housing. And prestige. Here on Naboo, we value our libraries like we do our plasma mines. Also, I might have called you a refugee to really drive it home that you needed this placement. Don’t worry about it.” Sala smiled as she walked Shyon toward her new place of work. Shyon nearly tripped a few times over the ornate Nabooian dress she now wore. It was a deep emerald green with intricate, shining beading and a short train. In short, Shyon felt ridiculous. How as she supposed to walk in this? Sure, she’d worn dresses before but this was a gown. Weren’t queens supposed to be the only ones to wear gowns? And important people? She didn’t have time to question anything before she was surrounded by other Library workers and sucked away from Sala.

Settling into a routine was easy. Shyon was thankfully put in charge of maintaining a very small collection of obscure texts in an even more obscure language. Very few people meandered to her section so Shyon finally had time to read the small book Tekka had given her. It turned out to be a diary of a Jedi during the Great Sith War—nearly four thousand years before the Fall of the Empire. It contained no names, just referring to himself as “I.” The Jedi had lost his family and home planet in the fighting and all he had was the Jedi Order. He dedicated his life to ending the Sith—but the power of the dark swayed his mind. He became a dark Jedi and killed dozens of his former brothers-and-sisters-in-arms before he met a girl. From the scribbled notes, it seemed there had been a Force Bond between them but the hints were there for Shyon. He wrote of his struggles against the darkness and how he found light within the bond. He treasured it and wanted to protect it. The girl convinced him to come back to the Light and he was able to save a colony full of Republic citizens, including his “Bonded”—and Shyon decided she loved that term.

The last entry nearly broke her heart. The redeemed Jedi was readying himself to go fight alongside the Jedi again.

_“I will kiss her goodbye.”_ That was the last line.

Shyon spent the rest of the day pouring over the small amount of Jedi History texts the library had but found no hints at who the Jedi could be. Toward the end of one book, she found a list of Jedi who had perished but the list held thousands of names. How was she supposed to narrow it down?

And what had Tekka hoped to accomplish by giving this to her? But the longer she thought about it, the more she realized. He had given it to show her that there is power in the Bond. That there was hope for her. For him.

**

The message she left with Tekka must have gotten scrambled because she had been on Naboo for almost three weeks before Shyon was given a hologram projector by Sala who had stopped by to see her on her own lunch break.

“You didn’t tell me you had friends in the Senate.” Sala laughed. “You must tell me about your adventures when we have the time.” Thankfully, she didn’t stay long and Shyon was once again alone. The projector, with a New Republic insignia emblazoned on the top, was small and thankfully quiet as she pressed play. A small Leia Organa appeared on Shyon’s desk, her arms folded behind her back and a small smile on her face. Leia must have diverted the message through the New Republic to avoid it being intercepted by the First Order.

“Jerriko. Thank you for your help. Lor San Tekka’s message to us was jumbled in the relay and it is taking us weeks to decipher it. We have cracked a small bit of it.” Leia paused. “Lor San relayed that you hope to lead my son away from him in a hope to help the Resistance. You are a brave young woman and the Resistance thanks you for your service. Your…your father would be proud, I know this.” She paused again. “Please, stay safe. You know you are always welcome here.” The hologram shut off as Leia faintly smiled.

Shyon knew Leia meant well. She did. But Shyon knew she could never rejoin the ranks of the Resistance. At least, not until she was sure she could block Kylo Ren out. The bond she felt with him wasn’t scary anymore. It was a hindrance at times—but she valued it. Whenever the grief of what she had gone through threatened to overcome her, late at night when her mind wandered, the warmth came back and soothed her. It was as if the bond was comforting her, as if he was comforting her.

But, as she lounged in her bed one night, another sense of foreboding washed over her. And the warmth didn’t come. But she could see him. Kylo Ren stood in front of a kneeling Tekka, his lightsaber drawn. Before she could reach out to him, he struck Tekka down without mercy.

**

The next few days passed in a haze. She was going to lose another person to the First Order. And she had witnessed the man she was supposed to have a bond with **murder** the closest thing she had to a grandfather. The only consolation Shyon could give herself was going to be a swift, painless death. Now the thought of the bond nearly made Shyon sick to her stomach. How could the Force be so cruel? What did she do to deserve being bound to someone who kills like that? Who murdered innocents without cause?

She found no happiness in the diary of the unnamed Jedi. To distract herself from her continuously dark thoughts, Shyon practice the strange powers she had. It was almost soothing to see a book land on its rightful shelf without her doing more than moving a finger or to lift herself off the ground without a care and perch on the highest shelf. But the happiness was short-lived. Sala and Maneh’s company despite how hard they tried to cheer her up did very little to make her happy.

“I’m so sorry,” Shyon would say every time she had to turn them down for something. “I just…can’t.”

Sala and her keen eyes seemed to be analyzing every little thing she did so it wasn’t really surprising for Shyon when Maneh and Sala showed up on her doorstep on the first day of a long holiday for the entire planet. Everything is basically shut down and the entire planet celebrates for a solid week and a half. It had something to do with the fall of the Empire but Shyon didn’t bother to dig for information.

“We’re going to the Lake Country. You’re coming with us. And no, you can’t argue.”

And that is how Shyon found herself at a beautiful, sprawling lake retreat owned by Sala’s father, a man very high up in the political rungs of Naboo.

“Most people stay in the capital for the holiday,” Sala explained as they settled in. “There’s parades, celebrations, all sorts of things to do. But it tends to get very crowded and my poor Maneh does seem to hate crowds. The Lake Country, especially at this time of year, is nearly deserted. It is a shame, in my opinion. I find it quite beautiful.”

The Estate itself was sprawled over several acres of lakefront property. It looked like something out of one of her childhood storybooks. The entire structure was a balmy tan with muted green and dull silver accents. Green grass and nearly white sand surrounded them. The scent of the lake was cool and refreshing—clean.

“It is beautiful,” Shyon said, finally feeling a smile press into her lips.

Sala just shook her head and gently nudged Shyon’s shoulder with her own. “We just worry about you. Take this time to find yourself.” Sala gave Shyon very brief directions on how to find the essentials in the estate and then went to find Maneh who was fussing over the transport starship mishandling his luggage.

Shyon had been given the largest guest bedroom—on the opposite side, away from Sala and Maneh. They were giving her solitude and peace at the same time. They were good people; good & honest people. They didn’t deserve to be dragged down by her despondency. Shyon resolved to have a good time. There was no need to ruin their holiday.

The room she had been given, like the exterior, was decorated in tans and greens and silvers. Gauzy curtains barely concealed a large balcony overlooking the lake. The moons were beginning to rise and Sala had mentioned that she and Maneh usually retired early after a day of travel and she would see them at breakfast.

Perhaps it was because Shyon was so accustomed to traveling—and traveling long distances—that she wasn’t tired at all. She dug through her small suitcase and found one of the swim suits Sala had convinced her to buy with her first paycheck from the Library. After changing and grabbing a towel from the closet, Shyon stepped out to the lake and almost instantly regretted her choice. The water was frigid. She pushed through it and completely submerged herself, trying to acclimate to the temperature. After swimming for a few minutes, the cold stopped bothering her. It was almost peaceful. It was nothing like the warmth she used to crave. Now it only served as a constant reminder of the bond she didn’t want.

Tekka was wrong. The bond was not made of Light. The Force had made a mistake or pulled a cruel joke on Shyon, punishing her for something she didn’t know she did wrong.  
Shyon did laps for almost an hour before swimming back to the sand and wrapping herself in a towel. The sand was soft as she lounged back and watched the moons rise higher and higher above the horizon. Stars twinkled. The wind barely whispered through the lush trees.

It was perfect, peaceful.

“Madam, madam,” someone called from up the hill at the estate.

Shyon turned to see one of the estate’s caretakers trotting toward her.

“Madam, Lady Sala has left you supper in your room. I’m afraid it’s getting cold.” He seemed a little nervous about the whole situation and Shyon rose to her feet.

“Okay. I’ll be right up.”

“Should I heat-”

“No. Thank you, though. I’m sure it’s just as delicious cold.”

Shyon was right. The food was delicious—even if it was lukewarm. After scarfing down the wonderful food, she bathed, soaking the perfumed water and bubbles until her cold skin was doubly wrinkled. She toweled off and slipped into one of the silk nightgowns she was now accustomed to wearing and slipped in between the plush bed coverings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! Kudos, bookmarks, and comments really keep me motivated! I hope you liked it. :)


	4. Naboo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I hope you like this chapter. Thank you to everyone who left kudos, bookmarks, and comments. I adore all of you.

The peace she had been looking for seemed to finally come. It had been a beautiful four days in the Lake Country and Sala and Maneh seemed to be quite aware of how at ease Shyon was. Over meals (basically the only time they saw each other), Shyon divulged what had happened on Jakku and Socorro and felt almost relieved to tell someone. She didn’t explain that the death of Tekka was seen in a vision and they didn’t press for more information. They didn’t walk on eggshells around her. It was an easy friendship.

On the fifth night, Maneh managed to get both Sala and Shyon on a small boat in the middle of the large lake. They watched a firework display in honor of the holiday before rowing back in. Sala explained that the fireworks were always reserved for the fifth night for some reason and Shyon only shrugged in response. Naboo had strange customs.  
But sleep didn’t come.

Instead, all she felt was an odd sensation at the base of her skull. It was like something was probing, poking at her mind—almost physically.

She eventually sat up and stepped out onto the balcony.

Standing on the shore was Kylo Ren. His cape fluttered in the wind and his mask was tilted up, looking at her as if he had known she would come out. They stared at each other for a moment before Shyon retreated back into the bedroom.

What would she do? What was she supposed to do?

Well, she certainly wasn’t confronting him in a nightgown. And why didn’t she bring any of her old clothes? There was nothing wrong with the fine, silken, gauzy, and embroidered and jeweled dresses she’d grown accustomed to and filled her suitcase with—but she felt a little more in control when she didn’t have layers of fabric swishing about her ankles.  
But maybe there was power in the Naboo dresses she brought. She picked one out of the closet and smiled. She had bought it on a whim when she had been bored on her lunch break and strolling around the shops near the Palace. It was a deep turquoise color and lightweight, decorated with appliqués of leaves which shimmered whenever the light hit them. While it reached her neck, most of the bodice was sheer, as were the sleeves which billowed away at the elbow. Shyon felt like a queen in the dress. And maybe she needed that power. Hurriedly, she put the dress on with silver sandals and let her strawberry waves free.

He was still waiting when she emerged from the house and walked toward him. She stopped several feet away, careful not to get too close.

“Are your men killing my friends right now?”

“No. Of course not-”

“Why are you here, Kylo? And don’t try that mind trick thing on me. I know what you can do—I’ve studied with Lor San Tekka.” She let the silence grow between them, giving him a chance to defend himself, to explain, something, and he didn’t take it. The vision hadn’t come to fruition yet, maybe there was still hope.

“I’m here to see you. I couldn’t keep from seeing you.” The words sounded odd from behind the mask, distorted and hollow.

“Alone?”

“Completely.”

“Does Snoke know you’re here?”

“No.”

“Take off the mask, Kylo. If you wanted to see me, see me.”

It was quiet except for the gentle waves of the lake hitting the sand and the wind rustling the trees. But then he moved and slowly pulled off the mask. Dark hair and dark eyes. She had never seen them before, even in all the dreams they shared. He was handsome and angular—it was the only way she could describe him. He held the mask in his hand and Shyon heard him tighten his grip on it as she slowly walked toward him. It was strange. She wanted to scream and hit him and maybe make him fly into the middle of the lake but now all she could focus on was getting closer.

Her small hand reached up and paused right before touching his cheek.

He looked down at her, brown eyes nearly pleading, but he didn’t say a word.

Finally, Shyon let herself touch him, feel the human warmth of him under her fingers. “Why?” She asked. “Why do I feel this?”

“I don’t know. But I feel it too.” Kylo reached up and covered her hand with his. The leather of his glove was cold.

“I…” Shyon pulled her hand away. “I don’t want to.” Saying that was like taking a blow to the stomach. It stole the breath from her lungs and almost knocked her to her knees on the sand. It was as if she was fighting to stay upright. The Force knew she was lying—something. “I don’t want to feel like this. I’ve seen what you’ve done.”

“I had to!” He suddenly exploded.

“You have free will, Kylo. Despite how powerful Snoke is, or thinks he is, you are free to do what you want.”

Kylo shook his head. “You don’t understand!”

“And I don’t want to! I don’t want to know why you do the things you do. I could’ve been happy—I was happy before all of this happened.”

“It would have happened eventually. You know this. These bonds are inevitable, fated.”

“I know you can feel the way I feel. How I feel about you. Couldn’t you feel my heart breaking?” Tears had started to slide down her cheeks as flashes of the dream started to resurface.

“Of course I felt it,” Kylo said as he stepped forward. “I felt it as if the emotions were my own. I want to explain everything but I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“My mission isn’t complete. Please, Shy-”

“Don’t call me that. You don’t get to call me that.”

“Shyon. Fine. Shyon, please, I need you to know that there are things at work in this galaxy that even I don’t understand. But I need you to trust me. You’ve trusted me before, remember?” He took a few more steps toward her.

Yes, she remembered. He had saved her life on Socorro. “Why can’t you tell me?”

“I don’t want you to be targeted. Something is going to happen soon and you could become a weakness and hunted because people think you know something about me.” He paused. “But if I’m being honest, you already are a weakness.”

“This isn’t gaining you any points.”

“I know that if anyone were to threaten you, hurt you, I’d be completely at their mercy.”

The tears had stopped and the strange warmth was returning, along with a fluttering of her heart. It was stupid and clichéd but it was the truth. “You don’t even know me.”

“But I do. I do know you. Just like you know me. We might not know each other’s childhood stories or their favorite planet—but we know each other.” Kylo stepped closer still until they were once again close enough to touch. It was quiet between them again. “My grandfather married my grandmother here, in the lake country.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m letting you know me.” He almost smiled. “Only the priest and two droids were present.”

He was almost beautiful up close, Shyon thought. And why couldn’t she stay mad at him? Why couldn’t she sever this connection? 

“You’re at war with yourself.”

“I am. I don’t want to feel this way. It’s wrong. You stand for everything evil and dark in this galaxy and all I want to do is wrap my arms around you forget everything. You bring a warmth to my very being that I can’t even begin to explain. I’m at war with myself because my mind is telling me to run from you and my soul reaches for you. I don’t know what to do.”

Kylo leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It was almost instantaneous how quickly Shyon melted into the embrace. His glove-covered hands tangled in her hair as her tentative fingers slid across his leather belt. Tongues met and thrust and Kylo pulled her closer. Hot breath mixed and mingled and Shyon was sure she had never felt this wanted or beautiful. And none of it made sense. 

Just as quickly as it started, it stopped.

He pressed his forehead against hers and his cool breath fanned against her fevered skin.

“That was unfair,” she said with a light laugh.

“I never fight fair.” Kylo pressed his lips to her forehead before lightly pressing his lips to hers again. “Please, don’t shut me out. I will explain everything when I can.”

There were so many secrets.

“What will you do about Tekka?”

“I’m waiting until my hand is forced. I promise I will explain everything. Please, have faith in me.”

Shyon just nodded and had to resist the urge to wrap her arms around him. It felt like she was swinging from one edge of the emotional pendulum to the other. Why couldn’t there be any sense in this situation? “Will you stay?” She asked. Her small fingers fiddled with the cloak around his shoulders, feeling the ripples of the textures and weaves.

“I can’t. Hux only knows I went off base to keep from killing a captain.”

Shyon frowned. “Excuse me?”

“I have a reputation, you know this.” A small, self-deprecating smile pulled at his lips. Shyon just huffed. “I just want to do one thing before I go.”

She tilted her head to the side and watched him take off a solitary glove. His long fingers brushed against her cheek before wrapping a strand of her hair around his finger.

“I’ve wanted to know if you were as soft as I had imagined.” That small smile appeared again for a moment. He kissed her briefly before stepping back. Away from her hands. He turned and pushed the helmet back over his head.

“Kylo, you have to promise me you’ll try to stop it. Don’t be the person Snoke wants you to be, a pawn.”

He paused and looked back at her for a moment and then walked away.

**

The holiday on Naboo drew to a close without any other visits from Kylo. Shyon wasn’t entirely sure what to think of that. On one hand, she had finally experienced what it was like to have Kylo in her arms, in her life—instead of in her dreams. On the other, she knew very little about him other than the fact he worked for Snoke for the First Order and all the destruction he was capable of.

The Library was closed for an extra week because some celebrations got out of hand and a reveler “accidentally” let loose a band of Kethriak marauders as a prank in the History section. Naboo’s finest were still trying to catch the slippery creatures and keep the damage to a minimum.

To keep Shyon busy, Maneh invited her to go on a few hauls. She happily accepted.

Jakku was just as hot as she remembered. Maneh went to barter with Unkar Platt as she was left to watch the ship. After a few minutes, and growing increasingly bored, Shyon felt something tingling at the base of her skull. She looked around from her perch on the back of Maneh’s freighter and saw a girl, probably only a few years younger than her, dragging her own salvage haul over toward Unkar Platt’s tent.

Before she knew what she was doing, Shyon was talking toward her. The girl froze, as if knowing she was going to be approached. But then she moved quickly, brandishing a large stick and pointing it Shyon who dodged it before it smacked her in the face.

“Excuse you, what was that for?”

The girl glared. “Stay away from my haul.”

“Look, I’m not after whatever parts you pilfered out in the Graveyard. I wanted to ask if you’ve ever been off planet. Maybe to Coruscant? You look familiar.”

The stick weapon was lowered. “No, no, I haven’t been off planet since I was a child. Sorry.”

Shyon pursed her lips, knowing there was something drawing her to the scavenger. “No need to apologize. Sorry I startled you. Didn’t mean to.” Shyon stuck out a hand. “I’m Shyon.”

“I’m Rey.” Rey shook Shyon’s hand and both seemed to ignore the shock that ran up their arms.

The tingling didn’t go away but Shyon spotted Maneh loading a haul onto the freighter. “Well, I have to go. It was nice to meet you, Rey.” She paused. “Take care of yourself, yeah?”

Rey’s dark eyebrows furrowed but she nodded. “Yeah, of course. You too.”

Shyon smiled and hurried to help Maneh finishing loading everything.

“Do you know Rey?” Maneh asked as he caught sight of her.

“Rey? No. I thought I did but I guess I got confused.” Shyon grabbed a box of fuses and secured it behind a fuselage.

Maneh shook his head. “Sad fate, that girl. Parents dropped her off here ages ago, never came back.”

Shyon nodded, taking the information silently. Before the back hatch of the freighter closed, she snuck one last glance at Rey who was also looking at her.

**

The day before the library was supposed to open back up, Shyon was awoken by a knock on her door. Thinking it was Sala, Shyon just trudged to the door in her nightgown and frizzy hair. When she opened the door she was surprised to see Poe standing there, a handful of Millaflowers, one of Naboo’s famous flowers, in his hands.

“Poe!” Shyon squeaked.

“Shyon, I-”

She pulled him into her small apartment and then blushed, realizing how strange she must look. “Give me a moment.” She ran back to her room and hurriedly changed into one of the other Naboo dresses she was becoming fond of, and ran a hand through her hair but gave up and walked back out to see Poe looking out of her large bay window, watching the foot traffic of Naboo come and go. He was still holding the flowers in his hands.

“Poe? I’m so sorry. I wasn’t expecting company. I-”

Poe turned and just smiled, making Shyon’s poor heart leap to her throat. “I’m just so happy to see you.” He held the flowers out and the fragrance instantly made Shyon’s heart flutter. It smelt like expensive perfume and the sea. The bouquet must have cost a fortune. “These are for you.”

“Thank you, they’re lovely.” Shyon gently took them, buried her nose in them for a moment before finding a vase and filling it with water. She set the flowers on her small table as she turned to see Poe just looking at her, his head cocked to the side so a few strands of his black hair fell across his forehead. “What?”

Poe paused for a moment and let his eyes travel from her feet, up her legs, over her torso, and finally settled with locking eyes with her. “Naboo suits you.” He took a couple of steps toward her as she felt a heat rush over her cheeks.

“Um, thank you?” She managed to get out, her throat still a bit constricted. Her pulse was pounding as her palms grew slick with sweat.

Poe just smiled and gently grasped her upper arms in his warm hands. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too.” It was true. She did miss Poe. She missed D’Qar, R6, Kaydel, and the constant ruckus of the Resistance. But she did miss Poe. She wondered, if her life had different, if anything could have normally developed between them instead of the strange situation she was now in.

Shy was pulled from her reverie as Poe’s lips brushed her cheek. Like the adult she is, Shyon squeaked in surprise. 

“Are you busy tonight? The general gave a few of us the night off if we finished a small mission and she mentioned you were here.”

“I, um, no. I mean, I’m not busy tonight.” Shyon wasn’t a complete idiot when it came to men—at least she told herself that. She knew where this conversation was headed. She did want to spend time with Poe, see if the spark she felt with him continued to flare or if it was only a wish to return to her old life. But she felt like she was betraying Kylo. But she wasn’t, right? Their relationship—if he could even call it that—was nothing defined. If anything, it had caused nothing but destruction and hurt in her life. She deserved a little normalcy with Poe.

Poe’s smile grew. “Great. I’ve told there’s a great place around here. Dinner, dancing—are you interested?” He was so earnest, hopeful. And the annoying butterflies and sweaty palms which always accompanied Poe had come back with a vengeance. 

“Yeah, that sounds like fun.”

Poe kissed her cheek again. “I just have to finish a few things and then I’ll be back. I’ll meet you here around 7.” Before she could plan otherwise, Poe had slipped out of her front door again. 

Time passed quickly for Shyon, spending it trying to find what to wear and how to do her makeup. Unlike the bar on Hosnian Prime, Naboo had certain unwritten social rules everyone had to abide by. What to wear to specific locations, hairstyles, makeup, and the like. 

When the time finally came, Shyon looked, as Sala would say, like “a proper Naboo.” The dress was short and exposed her long legs and the back was left open. It was a pale lilac color and had multicolored flowers at the opening of the back. It seemed every bit of clothing on Naboo had some sort of fauna incorporated into it. Silver sandals adorned her feet and flowers were in her hair. She was ready. Well, aesthetically at least. Summer was nearing its end and a gentle, tolerable breeze brought the scent of late blooming flowers with it.

On cue, a knock sounded at seven and Shyon answered it. Poe was dressed casually with his dark hair perfectly tousled. His dark eyes nearly bulged when he saw her. 

“What?” She asked, feeling self-conscious. Shyon would have preferred to wear her old smuggler’s garb but she knew she’d never hear the end of it. She’d never been very good at being the center of gossip.

“You look…beautiful.”

She smiled, cheeks flaring to a near painful temperature. 

Dinner went smoothly. The restaurant and club was on the top level of a large building. Flowers hung down from the ceiling in beautiful, colorful waves. Conversation was easy. Poe caught her up on the operations of the base—what stuck out the most was that Tekka’s message was descrambled now and General Organa was nearly ecstatic. 

After drinks came later and soon the band was set up above the dance floor. 

“Would you like to dance?” Poe asked as the first cords of the song started to be played.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” 

Poe extended a hand and helped Shyon out of her chair and they walked to the quickly filling dance floor. His large, roughened hands gently grabbed her waist as she let her arms wrap loosely around his shoulders. The music was slow and rhythmic. 

“The flowers suit you.”

“What do you mean?” Shyon asked.

“You look untouchable. Something beautiful that shouldn’t be touched; rather be admired from afar.” 

Shyon frowned. What did that mean? She didn’t want to be admired. She wanted to be touched. 

Kylo had touched her. Had wanted to touch her; feel her skin, know the texture of her hair. 

She shouldn’t be thinking about him now. She pushed the thought aside and rested her cheek on his shoulder, letting the music fill the void.

Poe walked her back to her apartment when she yawned for the seventh time and they paused in front of her door. 

“Will I see you again?” Poe asked as his fingers curled near his sides.

“I don’t know.” There was no point in lying. Not now.

“General Organa never explained why you didn’t return to base. I mean, I know about your father but-”

“My reasons are my own, Poe.” 

He tilted his head to the side and Shyon couldn’t help but be reminded of a child. He was innocent to the strange war she was experiencing. Of the terrible pull she felt toward the embodiment of darkness.

“Did I upset you?” He asked.

“Of course not, Poe. Of course not.” She stood on her tip toes and gently pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth. “Thank you for tonight. I needed it.”

Poe smiled and nodded. “Of course. If you need anything, I’m your man.”

Shyon managed to smile in return. “I’ll remember that.”

**

Life continued on, waiting for no one. Shyon resumed her job at the library and tried to forget how she felt pulled in two different directions—all because of two very different men and the very different things they seemed to stand for.

As she settled in at her station at the library to start the last day of the work week, she felt it. 

It felt like she had taken a shot from a blaster to the gut and she crumpled against the nearest shelf of books. A few toppled and hit her legs. She couldn’t breathe. Her eyes watered. 

He had done it. 

He had killed Tekka. But then it didn’t stop. The ache in her chest seemed to explode.

Flashes of what was happening sparked in front of her eyes. The villagers: they had been rounded up and shot, killed without mercy or care. Tuanul was burning. Burning. Burning. 

Until it was gone. 

And Kylo had done it. 

He had done all of it.

“Shyon...Shyon?” Sala was sitting near her, slowly pulling the heavy tomes off Shyon’s legs. “What happened?”

Shyon stood on shaky legs and pushed a hand over her head that had started to throb in time with her heartbeat. “What…what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see if you wanted to get lunch later. I-”

“I have to go,” Shyon said, her voice breathy and strained. 

“Yes, let me take you to the healers.” Sala scrambled to her feet only to have Shyon shake her head. 

“No, I, um, I need to go, Sala. Leave. Something’s happened. I’m so sorry. I can’t explain. You and your family have been so kind and I’ll never be able to repay you but I need to leave.” Shyon let out a sob she didn’t know was coming. It was dry and only served to roughen her throat and sting her eyes. “Everything, everyone I love gets hunted down.” 

Before Sala cold offer a rebuttal, Shyon was gone.

**

Her bag was hastily packed but she wasn’t even sure why she bothered to pack the Naboo gowns but they were in a jumbled mess in her bag along with a few trinkets she’d gathered. Her blaster was secured at her hip and she’d pulled out all of her credits. The speeder bike was sold for extra credits.

The port in Theed was bustling with life and it would have been easy to barter her way onto a simple, unsuspecting freighter. 

Shyon pushed her way through the crowd and found who she was looking for—Chewbacca. Her father had told her stories about Han Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca. It was easy to spot the Wookiee, standing head and shoulders above almost everyone at the dock and covered with fur. There had been rumors whispered between book shelves for weeks that the infamous Rebel crew was on planet. Shyon was just lucky that gossip finally came in handy.

“Um, excuse me?” Shyon started, lightly tapping the Wookie’s arm. 

Chewbacca turned and let out a growl. Shyon was thankful she took a few classes on Obscure Sentient Languages. 

“Hi, I’m Shyon. I work for Leia.”

Chewbacca answered with another inquisitive rumble. 

“I was wondering if I could hitch a ride off planet? I’ll pay.”

The Wookiee turned his head and let out a growl and an older man came out from under the freighter Chewbacca was standing near, his hands slightly black at the fingertips. “Chewie says you need a ride?” This must be the infamous Han Solo.

“Right. I’ll pay and I-”

“Where you going?”

“Takodana.” If she could get there, she could get anywhere.

Han tilted his head to the side. “What are you running from? Chewie says you’re with the Resistance.”

“Trust me, we don’t have time for this story. Do you want my money or not?”

Han took a step closer and Shyon had to remind herself of her old motto and hold her ground. “I don’t need someone chasing us through the galaxy because you messed up. Understand me?”

“Completely. But I’m just saying that if you get me to Takodana quickly, you won’t ever be in any sort of skirmish. I’m not running. I’m preemptively leaving before I have to run.” Shyon cleared her throat. “Okay?”

Han squinted at her. “Why us?” He started to clean his hands on a ratty towel.

“You were a Rebellion hero and a Resistance fighter—then you dropped it all and never looked back. I trust you. I trust you because I can’t look back.” 

Han was quiet for a moment and Shyon knew he was thinking. “Fine. Get on board.” He turned and threw his rag into a bin before climbing into the Eravana. Chewie followed shortly, letting out a come-along rumble to Shyon who scurried in behind them. She followed them to the pilot’s station and buckled herself in behind them.

“Where are you from, kid?” Han asked as he fired up the engine.

“Coruscant.”

“You don’t sound Coruscanti.” Han piloted the heavy freighter out of the loading bay and started his ascent.

“Born and raised. But I lived near The Works. Didn’t get much exposure to the proper Coruscanti accent. My mom had one, dad was from Corellia. I sound like him.”

“Corellia, hm? What’s his name?”

“Dees Jerriko.”

Han’s head snapped around just as they were hitting the space surrounding Naboo. “Jerriko?”

“Yes,” Shyon said, her voice a little softer now. Fear wasn’t an option now. And would a war hero like Solo actually do anything? She spared a glance at Chewbacca who was looking at her too. “Why?”

“Where is he?”

“He was killed by Troopers a couple of months ago on Socorro.” It amazed Shyon how steady her voice sounded.

“Oh,” Han said. He nodded once and turned back to the front.

Chewbacca let out a mournful howl.

“You knew him?” Shyon asked, understanding the Wookiee.

“Yeah. Yeah, I knew him. He was a good man. Good at his job. The Resistance was lucky to have him. I, uh, didn’t realize his daughter was your age. The way he talked about you, you’d think you were younger. Kept calling you his ‘little girl.’ All the time.”

Shyon just smiled. Of course her father would call her that. “I’m almost 25.”

Han nodded. It was quiet in the freighter except for the hum of the engines and a strange thumping noise coming from somewhere in the recesses of the large starship.

“What is that?”

Chewbacca answered and Han sighed.

“You’re hauling _Rathtars_?”

“Yeah, I’m hauling Rathtars. If someone asks and has enough cash, I do it.”

A ripple of anxiety shot down Shyon’s spine. “They’re secured, right? They’re not going to get out, right?”

“They shouldn’t. The holding cells on this ship are top notch.”

Chewie grunted.

“Fine. They’re adequate.”

“Comforting.” Shyon sighed. “How much do I owe you for the ride?”

“Five thousand-” Han cut himself off before finishing. “Did you help your father with his hauls?”

“I did. Why?”

The Wookiee once again let out a series of rumbles and yowls and Shyon felt her heart accelerate.

“You want me to help you get another Rathtar? As a favor?”

The pilot and co-pilot both shrugged. “Instead of payment. Yeah.”

Shyon slumped in her seat. How did she get herself in these situations? “Fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if you liked it! I love hearing what you think!


	5. Takodana

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Thank you, again, to everyone who left reviews, kudos, and bookmarks! You're my favorite.   
> I hope you like this chapter!

Mon Cala was almost completely covered in water. Only a few metropolises dotted the blue marble; silver cities floating above the choppy water. Han had been told that a couple of Rathtars had been spotted on one of the few landmasses of the planet. The reports could be unfounded because it wasn’t spotted again. Rathtars could survive on land and in water so Shyon knew there was a chance that a Rathtar probably was on the planet.

Dammit.

Han landed the Eravana then pulled a small starship out from the loading dock and they were off, in search of the island. They found it without a problem and they parked. Chewie and Shyon were tasked with pulling off the equipment they would need to capture the carnivorous creature while Han set up a radar station.

“So…how much is this King Prana giving you for this job?”

“A lot. And I can almost taste it.” Han had explained that the King wanted three for his personal zoo, something about bragging rights and a competition with another Royal in another system. It all sounded very stupid to Shyon. They set up a device that was supposed to set off a noise which attracted the Rathtar.

“So, um, Chewie mentioned you used to have a bigger crew?” Shyon asked, already dreading the answer. They finished setting up the trap.

“Yeah.” And that’s all Han said.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound, punctuated by a screech filled the air.

“What is that?”

Han just pointed to the sound equipment. “Are you ready?”

“No. But let’s get this over with.”

“That’s the spirit,” Han chuckled, arming himself with stun-blasters. Chewie just patted Shyon on the back and held up his own stun-blaster. Shyon hurriedly grabbed one for herself.

“How do you know when they’re coming?”

Out of the water in front of them shot tentacles, followed quickly by a red, bulbous body. It rolled quickly toward them, letting out a roar which only made Shyon grip her blaster tighter out of instinct. The disgusting ball seemed to pick up speed as it rolled toward them and Chewie fired first. It did nothing to deter it. He fired again and again and Han joined in. Shyon managed to pop off a couple of shots before a tentacle shot out away from its body and toward Han.

And Shyon panicked. She threw her arms up, blaster still in hand.

She just wanted the thing to stop. 

And then it did. 

The Rathtar let out what could only be considered a panicked screech as it hung, mid-jump, in the air. 

“You!” Han said, nearly stomping up to her side. “You didn’t tell me you were a Jedi!”

“I’m not! Oh my god, please just zap the thing so we can go.”

“You should have told me you could do stuff like this-” Han started to poke at her with an angry finger.

“This is not the time!” She retorted, feeling every shake of the animal. How long would she be able to hold it like this? 

Chewbacca scrambled and managed to get the cage ready and over the animal with ease as Han hopped into the small transport ship, readying to get the Freighter over to the small island to pick them up—along with the Rathtar that was thrashing in the cage. 

“We’ll talk about this later!” Han bellowed before firing up the engine and riding away.

Shyon sighed and looked at Chewbacca. “I just wanted to make sure he didn’t die. I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”

Chewie walked over to Shyon and patted her head. It pulled her hair a bit but she managed to smile.

“Is he mad at me? I didn’t think this would matter. Or happen. And why is he so upset? It’s not like I hurt him.”

Chewie’s response confused her.

“His son?” Her face scrunched together and she was sure she looked like a petulant child but then it dawned on her. “Kylo Ren.”

The mournful hum from the Wookiee was her answer.

Of course.

They both turned to see Han returning with the Eravana. The cage containing the Rathtar went first and they followed. They slid the now-raging Rathtar into a cell in between the other two and quickly locked it away. Han refused to look at her and Chewie had to basically force Shyon back into the cockpit of the starship. She had wanted to hide away near the gunner pit. Apparently that wasn’t an option.

“Were you there?” Han asked as he started the ship again.

“Where?” Shyon asked.

“On the island,” Han bit out, gripping the steering gauges a little tighter.

“I don’t know what happened on an island but I just figured out that I had these weird…abilities a couple of months ago. Seriously. I’m not lying. What are you accusing me of?”

Han squinted at her again before hitting the button for light speed. “My son. He was training to be a Jedi under his uncle, Luke Skywalker. He turned; fell to the Dark Side of the Force. He destroyed everything.” There was a pregnant pause in the cockpit. “Killed everyone who had the abilities you have. Luke went into hiding and my son…Ben, became Kylo Ren.”

Shyon’s heart was thundering in her chest. She was scared, terrified. She had let Kylo get close to her, touch her. Did he mean to kill her too? Was he playing some sick, twisted game to make her believe that there was good in him only for him to kill her when she was in a false sense of happiness?

“I…” There were no words.

“For a moment, I thought you worked for him. That’s why you had your powers—why you weren’t killed.”

“No. Coruscant is under First Order control. I don’t think I would even be on Luke’s radar. It wasn’t like I could just be taken from my home without them noticing.”

Han nodded and his shoulders slumped a fraction of an inch. “You know, Luke told me he could sense everyone who could wield the Force. You probably were on his radar. He just couldn’t get to you.” He sighed. “Maybe that was a good thing.”

“When I still worked for the Resistance, Leia had mentioned him but I didn’t know…I didn’t know what had happened. No one talks about it.”

Han looked back at her as Chewie fiddled with the controls, presumably heading them toward Takodana. “Leia talked to you about our son?”

“Just a small, short, almost insignificant conversation.” Lies. She was lying. Really poorly.

“Leia never talks about Ben. What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Chewie even offered an affronted rumble.

“She thinks I can save him.” Shyon regretted the words as soon as they came out of her mouth. Why did she say that? But she couldn’t just lie forever.

Han suddenly stood and pointed a finger at Shyon, nearly hitting her nose. “Why? Why would she think that?”

“I can sense him. We…we share something called a Force Bond.”

“You do work for him!”

“No! No! I don’t! I’m running from him. Why do you think I’m asking to get to Takodana? I need to get away from him.” She was pressing herself into her seat as if it would suddenly swallow her whole. “He’s in my head. I can’t block him out all the time. I see him when I sleep—I see what he’s going to do and I think he can see what I’m going to do. Leia thinks I can save him but I can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. I’m running to protect myself, to protect the Resistance.”

Han didn’t step back. “Don’t say that. Don’t say he can’t be saved.”

“I’m sorry. I just don’t know if I can actually do anything for him. He won’t tell me anything.”

“Do you see good in him? Light?”

Shyon wanted to run, to hide. She didn’t want to think about Kylo anymore. She wanted to be free, to forget. “I don’t know anymore.” Shaking her head, Shyon felt a rough hand lightly touch her cheek. She tightly shut her eyes to avoid looking at him. It was childish and immature but it was the only way she could try to shut everything out.

“Did you? Please.”

“Yes. I saw the Light in him. It was there.” Warmth filled her chest as she finally admitted the truth. But she didn’t want the warmth anymore. She wanted to feel nothing, to know nothing of how he felt or thought.

“And Leia thinks you can help him? Make him come back?”

“I can’t. I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do. I just found out I have these powers and I can’t control them. They appear without warning. I’m not strong like him. Or Luke. I’m scared.” She didn’t want to admit it. It went against everything she had been taught and believed in for her entire life.

“You said you can feel him? Is he okay?” Han was near frantic now and Chewie wasn’t helping with his inquisitive grunting.

“He’s sad. He’s confused. He’s…he wants power.”

Han stood straight, the face of a concerned father gone and replaced with the mask of the renowned smuggler. “Right. Okay.” He took his seat again just as the ship came out of hyperdrive.

Takodana was below them now, beautiful as she had remembered.

Shyon unbuckled herself and hurriedly grabbed her bag toward the back of the pit and nearly rushed toward the passenger hatch. She needed to leave, to forget that Kylo—or Ben—had a loving family who wanted him back. To forget how beautiful it felt to have him near, to have him give her that warmth she secretly craved like her next breath of air.

The hatch opened and she could see the shores of the planet. It was so close.

“Shyon.”

She turned to see both Han and Chewbacca looking at her.

“If you see him—if you see Ben, please, try to make him see the light.” There was a desperation in Han’s tone that broke Shyon’s heart. What she would give to have her own father back and Kylo had abandoned his.

“I don’t want to see him again.”

“But if you do…” Han let it trail off.

“I’ll try. For you and Leia.”

Chewbacca let out a grumble.

“And yes, you too.”

Before she could take a step outside, Chewbacca wrapped her in a hug and nuzzled the top of her head with his own. He rumbled a bit and Shyon smiled.

“You stay safe too. Both of you.”

And then she was out. Shyon watched the Eravana take off again and she slowly made her way to Maz’s castle. In daylight, Maz’s castle was welcoming and vibrant. At night, it was imposing and fearsome. Squaring her shoulders, Shyon walked in.

It was decidedly noisier at night than it had been during the day when she had visited with her father. The music was blaring, the conversations raucous, and the atmosphere itself was a bit more claustrophobic. Despite all of this it was easy to spot the small, orange woman near the bar. She turned and smiled at Shyon and waved her to the side.

The table Maz led her to was the same one she sat at last time. As they sat, Maz gently grabbed Shyon’s hand.

“I am sorry, Little Jerriko.”

Shyon nodded. “Thank you.”

“You are more troubled now. And it isn’t just because of your father.”

She sighed. “Am I that easy to read?”

“No. I have been around for more than a thousand years. I may not be a Jedi, but I know the Force. You are actually very hard to read, only those with years and experience should be able to read you. Or those with which you share a bond.” Maz gave her a soft, sad smile.

“Do you know how to cut off a bond? How to stop it?”

Maz shook her head. “From what I’ve learned the bond stays even after death. It lingers like memories. Always present.”

Shyon pulled her hand away from Maz and shook her head. “No. There has to be a way to stop it.”

“I can feel you fighting against it. Pushing it away. You mustn’t do that. It will only cause you harm and heartache.”

“Both of those only came from the bond.”

“If you open yourself up to it, you can feel him, like he feels you. Right now, he is barely sneaking past your defenses.”

“I don’t want to feel him. I don’t ever want to see him again. He’s killed so many people for the First Order. I don’t want any part of this.” Shyon took a steadying breath. “I need to get to the Outer Rim. I know someone can disappear out there, be forgotten.”

Maz finally sat back, pulling her hands away. “Is that truly what you wish?”

“I don’t know anymore, Maz.” Shyon leaned forward and rested her head in her hands.

Maz sighed and Shyon felt her run her hand through her hair. It was a calming gesture—one that her father used to do when she was little. “Rest tonight. I have rooms upstairs but they are rarely used. You may take any one you want. Clear your mind. Peace will come to you.”

Shyon nodded and managed to push her way through the crowd, only stepping on someone once.

“Sorry,” she said to the tall woman with dramatic black makeup and a matching snood covering her hair.

The woman grabbed her arm and stared down at her for a moment. “What is your name?” She asked in a strange accent.

“None of your business.” Exasperation started to lick at the back of Shyon’s subconscious. She wanted to go to sleep. She wanted to rest. She wanted this woman to let go. Shyon pulled her arm free and glared before marching toward the stairs.

The room Shyon found was small with a tiny bed and an even tinier bathroom unit attached. But it was quiet and comfortable. After washing her face, Shyon snuggled into the thin blankets. But sleep didn’t come. As the hours ticked by, Shyon tried different techniques of tricking her body into sleeping but eventually gave up.

Then she had a thought. Tekka had told her about how Jedi would meditate. Maybe that would help.

Shyon pulled a blanket onto the floor in a heap and settled herself on top. She closed her eyes and tried to block everything out. Meditation wasn’t exactly an offered elective at school so she wasn’t entirely sure if she was doing anything right. Right now she was basing this off what she had witnessed on shows and films. She attempted to clear her mind, focusing on a clean ball of light in her mind.

And focused.

And focused.

The sounds of patrons downstairs became even softer. She no longer felt the hard stone under the blanket nor the twinge in her shoulders. There was nothing. There was everything. Without opening her eyes she could see the goings-on downstairs and how the trees outside swayed in the light breeze. And then she could see the galaxy. She could feel the life of every person.

And then she saw him. Kylo Ren. And Poe.

It was as if she was standing in the room with them. Poe was strapped to a chair and she could feel his pain as Kylo probed his brain for information. She could see Kylo rifling through the pilot’s memories, in search of something.

He was looking for the data unit she had pulled from Tekka’s necklace.

_“The Resistance...will not be intimidated by you,”_ Poe said, blood streaking down his face, mingling with sweat.

“Stop.” Shyon couldn’t stop the word from forming on her lips.

And then she saw what Kylo had found. He found where Poe had hidden the information on Skywalker. But Kylo didn’t stop. He pressed until he saw the embraces Poe had shared with Shyon. The kisses they’d exchanged.

_“You adore her?”_ Kylo asked, voice distorted under his mask.

Poe just yelled in return. Pain radiated off of him.

“Kylo, stop!”

And then he stopped. Poe slumped against his restraints. His eyes fluttered for a moment before he fell unconscious.

And that’s when she was pulled back.

Her eyes opened and she saw the door to her room was opened and Maz was standing in front of her, concern all over her face.

“What did you see?”

“Poe. He’s hurt. Kylo’s hurting him for information and for…” she shook her head. “Everyone I touch gets hurt. Or killed. I can’t do this anymore.”

Maz kneeled in front of Shyon and gently wiped the tears away from her cheeks. When had she started crying? “Little Jerriko, you are stronger than you give yourself credit. You were given this path because you have great things ahead of you.”

“You said yourself that some of the paths I could take were dark. I can’t fall like Kylo. I won’t.”

Maz smiled and tapped the end of Shyon’s nose. “Paths change. They twist and turn just as readily as you take a breath. Be resolute in your actions and beliefs and you will see yourself victorious.”

“Victorious?” Shyon asked, confused. “Wouldn’t that imply I’m competing?”

Maz just smiled. “You will see.” The small alien stood. “You should get some sleep. You are tired, are you not?”

Shyon nodded and slunk back onto the bed, pulling the blanket with her. Maz left without a word. And sleep came at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking this story will have about 10-12 parts.  
> Is there anything specific you'd all like to see?  
> Thank you for reading!


	6. Starkiller Base

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I hope you enjoy the chapter. Thank you to everyone who left comments, kudos, and bookmarks!

Early mornings at Maz’s castle were quiet and barely a soul was around. Most had gone to sleep in their starships or finally escaped to their destinations before the sun came up.  
Shyon sat at the small table in the back, draped in one of the less ornate tunic and trouser combinations she’d bought on Naboo. For some reason, Takodana didn’t seem like a place to wear dresses.

She sipped on a bit of tea and nibbled on the sweetbread Maz herself had cooked. Maz slipped into the chair across from her and smiled.

“What are you going to do today?”

Shyon sighed and took another sip. It burned all the way down. “Would it still be cowardly to run to the Outer Rim?”

Maz shook her head. “You must do what you feel is best. This is your life, little Jerriko.”

“I think it would be easier to disappear, forget about the First Order, the Resistance, the New Republic, everything and everyone. But I don’t think I can do that.” She sighed. “I have to go back to Jakku, see if there are any of Tekka’s books left. Maybe I can learn something about these strange abilities of mine.”

Maz waved a hand. “No need for travel. I have plenty downstairs.” She led Shyon downstairs to a labyrinthine hallway. She opened a door to reveal a room filled with old tomes and scrolls and Shyon was instantly reminded of her short stay on Naboo.

“Lor San Tekka wasn’t the only one with a collection. Please, use whatever you need. I’m afraid I haven’t read them in quite some time so they might be dusty. Let me know if you need anything.”

And that is how Shyon spent the next week, pouring over the texts. Some were in ancient languages only Maz might know but most offered at least a small tidbit of information. There were fighting stances, meditation techniques, the history of the wars, everything. Even three tomes on how to build a lightsaber. Perhaps she would make one—she just needed to find a crystal. She was sure no one would take her to Ilum for her to find one. Her most interesting read was on the mind tricks anyone with Force-sensitivities were capable of—she wanted to master that skill if only for the opportunity to get people to forget they saw her.

But then her research took a turn. Maz had apparently also collected works written about the Dark Side of the Force. The books defined how emotions were at the root of all their power. Mostly anger and fear. Two emotions Shyon had been battling since this journey began. And the descriptions of powers only those aligned with the dark served to further concern Shyon.

“The Force Scream is a wave of hatred, amplified and fueled by the dark side, which is capable of smashing through mental and physical defenses with ease. It is a scream, of strong frustration, rage, or grief, emitted through the Force.” Shyon read it aloud to herself. She had done that. She had let out a scream and leveled a small battalion of Stormtroopers after having her father die in her arms. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized: every time she had used her powers, she had been angry or grieving. Raging. Or scared.

Was this what the Force was telling her? That she was predisposed to the dark and the destruction that came with it? Was she never good at all?

The books lay open in front of her, untouched, for the remainder of the day. Instead, she stared at the crumbling wall of the room, wondering if she willed it, she could disappear. That didn’t seem to be in any of the texts though and she really doubted it was a possibility. Once again, she meditated, feeling a peace she longed for. She could be everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Perhaps she could meditate for all of eternity. Unmoving and unmissed.  
She heard the door open and Shyon expected to see Maz with another bowl of fruit but was surprised to see the hooded woman standing in front of her, a large stick in her hand

“What-”

The woman moved quickly and struck.

And just like that, Shyon was out.

**

When she finally came back to the world of the living, Shyon was sure she had swallowed half the dirt on the planet and there might have been a tree tangled in her hair. She was being pulled by the ankles through the forest by the woman in the strange black and white outfit and her wrists were bound together with a strange, electric pair of cuffs.

Charming. What did she do to deserve this?

Shyon grabbed a thin trunk and wrapped her hands around it, pulling them both to a stop. Before Shyon could think of another “clever” tactic, the woman spun, a mercenary’s gun in her hand.

“Stop struggling. The payout is higher if you’re alive but if you’re going to put up a fight I have no problem shooting you right now.”

Shyon shut her mouth and glared. Again, her motto of showing no fear was guiding her actions. But she was scared. Who had put a bounty on her head?

“Can I at least get up and walk? I’m collecting a forest in my hair.”

The woman sighed but dropped Shyon’s feet, keeping her blaster pointed directly at Shyon’s forehead. Shyon moved her feet and dusted off her clothes with little success but managed to pull at least eight branches from her hair. Maybe she could get out of this.

“Who are you working for?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” The mercenary waved her gun, motioning for Shyon to walk in front. “Don’t try anything stupid. I’ve had a long day.”

“Well, that makes two of us.” This only earned Shyon a muzzle of the blaster to the middle of her back.

“Stop talking.”

Changing tactics, Shyon let herself reach out, trying to touch on the mercenary’s conscience. She tested the waters. “Tell me how much I’m worth to this person you’re working for.”

“I was promised a Star Destroyer.” The response was airy, almost absent mindedly handed over.

“Really? A ship that big? Wow.” Shyon was almost pleased she was worth that much. The person who put a bounty that big on her head was obviously an idiot—there was no way she was worth that, or the trouble. But this was a nice ego boost for the moment. “Tell me who hired you.”

“Master of the Knights of Ren.”

Kylo. Kylo had hired the mercenary. He must have felt how much she had wanted to run and attempt to break the bond. He wasn’t fighting fair. Kidnapping wasn’t fair. Bounty hunting wasn’t fair. She had been right. He was an idiot.

Before Shyon could form the words and make the mercenary let her go, a Gamma-class shuttle was in front of her. It was humming with life, hidden by the soaring trees and rock formations. The clearing was barely large enough for the craft and the mercenary, apparently now completely in control of herself again, grabbed Shyon by the front of her tunic and hauled her close. It was then that Shyon noticed the woman carrying her small bag.

_How thoughtful,_ Shyon mused to herself.

She looked around and saw a few men dressed in black waiting expectantly for her, each of their masks reminiscent of Kylo. They must be the Knights of Ren. Their blasters were raised and pointed directly at her.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” the woman nearly hissed in Shyon’s ear.

One of the Knights stepped forward and grabbed the cuffs and pulled Shyon forward. They were silent as they pushed her into the shuttle and closed the hatch. She attempted to reach out to their minds but found them closed, impenetrable. And using the force scream she was capable of didn’t seem like a valid option. She would prefer to remain in one piece and not burning to death because the ship was destroyed.

It only took a few minutes for the shuttle to dock on the First Order’s Star Destroyer. The monochrome color seemed to suck the life out of the entire ship. White Stormtroopers. Grey walls. Grey uniforms. Black floors. Black ships. It all blended one right into another. She was pulled from the back of the shuttle and through the main loading dock. Even if she wanted to keep track of where she was going, that option was swiftly taken away from her because of the identical hallways confusing her and how many sharp, unpredicted turns they took on the way to their destination. They stopped quickly in front of a large black door and knocked once.

It slid open without a hushed sound. Shyon was unceremoniously pushed into the room, her bag following shortly after, and the door shut quickly behind her.

Kylo Ren stood in front of her, dressed in his standard black garb and his mask covering his face.

“So, I’m worth a Star Destroyer?” She quipped. 

“I was going to offer all the moons of Naboo but I didn’t think anyone would believe I could deliver on that.”

“You have a lot of nerve. What was this supposed to prove?”

“You were planning on leaving.” He didn’t move and neither did she.

“Yes. I was. To get away from crap like this. From all the death and destruction you leave in your wake.” She shook her head. “You told me you would wait. That you wouldn’t do anything and you killed him—you killed the only person who I even could consider family after my father was killed by your men. You struck him down like he was nothing.”

“I told you I would wait until my hand was forced. And it was.”

“Fight back!” Shyon said, waving her still-bound hands around. “Fight back against the hold he has on you.” She took in a shaking breath. “I trusted you. I trusted you and…I have nothing left.”

“Don’t say that,” he said. Even behind the mask, it was a broken tone.

“It’s true. I want nothing. I don’t want you.” She squared her shoulders. “I don’t want you.”

Kylo stepped forward and panic shot through Shyon. Her hands instinctively raised and Kylo froze. It took her a moment to realize he was floating a few inches off the ground too. “You’ve gotten stronger.”

“You need to let me go, Kylo. Please. Don’t do this to me.” She could feel him fighting against the hold. He was strong. So strong. “Don’t make me be like you.”

“Shyon, listen to me. There are bigger forces at work.” He took a deep breath and suddenly dropped, her hold on him being ripped away. The power bouncing back was like a hundred rubberbands slapping onto her arms. Kylo stood straight and removed his mask. With a flick of his wrist, the cuffs on Shyon dropped to the ground with dull metallic thunk. “I have to protect you.”

“I was going to be fine—no one would ever find me on the Outer Rim. Not even you. And what are you supposed to be protecting me from? Hm? You are the darkness in the Galaxy.”

Kylo took a few steps toward her and Shyon quickly pushed him back again. She could feel the power radiating from her chest. It pulsed in time with her heart. But she felt the stupid warmth in her lungs, attempting to soothe her quickly fraying nerves but only serving to agitate her.

“Darkness serves a purpose.” He stuck out his own hand and she could feel the power seeping through hers like a snake. Suddenly, she felt a tug as if someone were trying to pull her forward. She pushed back even harder. But he was stronger. More trained. More disciplined.

And she panicked. She shifted focus and pulled the light saber from his belt and activated it as her palm encased the metal hilt. It was too big for her hand and cut into her skin with its jagged edges. Kylo’s power instantly retracted. Both of his hands held in the air as if surrendering.

“Shyon-”

“Why is it you? Why couldn’t it have been someone kind, good? I want to be good.” She pointed the glowing, red sword at him, finally feeling the tears slide down her cheeks. “You’ve destroyed everything.”

“I want to tell you everything. And I will—but you need to trust me.” His brown eyes were pleading as he slowly inched forward like he was trying to cage a wild animal. And that was exactly what she felt like.

“I won’t ever trust you.” Shyon nearly toppled as she felt it. It felt as if her heart was being compressed between two sharp rocks. The air was sucked out of her lungs. She tightened her grip on the lightsaber. “What are you doing to me?”

“You’re feeling what I feel.” Kylo sighed. “What does it feel like?”

“It hurts. My heart…hurts.” She needed to pull her guards back up—when had they come down? She didn’t want to know how he felt. She wanted to keep the bond as one-sided as possible. Let him feel the agony she felt every time she thought about him and what he had done.

“Please, I need you.” He stepped closer and closer until he was close enough to touch with the light saber.

She could strike him down without trouble right now. Like he had done with Tekka. “For what?”

“Sanity.” His hand stretched out and his long fingers gently wrapped around her hand and he pushed the button, retracting the blade.

The warmth nearly exploded in her chest at the contact. Her soul was singing. The blade dropped between them, clattering on the floor. His fingers twisted into her hair and she stepped close, needing more contact almost subconsciously.

“Stay,” he said, barely a whisper as his face neared hers. “Please stay.” His lips barely brushed hers.

It didn’t matter that she had branches in her hair or dirt covering almost all of her skin and clothing, she just needed to be closer to him. Shyon knew she should run, fight, hide. Do anything she could to get away from him—and that had been her intention when she was first aware of her own kidnapping. It was cliché and stupid, she knew, but all of that had melted away when he touched her. Shyon pressed her lips against his for a moment before pulling back. He chased her lips with his own and her breath was stolen for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. He was powerful and gentle at the same time. His fingers tugged at her hair as he stepped closer, pressing his body flush against hers, angling her head up toward his. He was in control and Shyon couldn’t deny him. Their breaths mingled as Shyon curled her hands around his neck as if to anchor herself to him. 

The warmth had become a heat she could feel from her fingers to her toes. There was nothing but him. They only pulled apart to breathe but quickly collided again and again. 

Hands slid over skin and cloth, pulling and tugging. They were desperate for a contact, a connection.

But then a knock came at the door.

Shyon pulled away first, shocked at the noise. But Kylo’s hands were still tightly holding her, as if afraid she’d run.

“Commander, Supreme Leader is requiring your presence,” called a voice on the other side of the door.

“Will you stay?” Kylo whispered.

She let the question hang between them and then she answered as honestly as she could. “For a moment.”

Kylo pressed his lips to her forehead before finally pulling away and pulling his mask back over his head. He paused as he reached the door. “You know I’ll find you.”

It was a simple statement, a fact passing his lips in a handful of syllables. But it shot a jolt of warmth through her, as if she was supposed to be comforted by this. And part of her was, in a strange way. It was comforting to know he’d always be able to find her. The other, more logical and survival-driven, part of her was scared. Shyon squared her lips and nodded once and then he was gone.

In a matter of moments, she was scurrying around the room in search of anything she could use to escape. The room itself seemed to be a living space of some sort. There were sleek, black couches and a table. Everything had sharp corners as if wanting to emulate the man who owned it. There had to be other rooms. Sliding her hands across the walls, she finally found a door—it slid open to reveal his bedroom. Once again, it was black and sparse. A large bed was one of the three pieces of furniture. The others were a chair and a strange table that had a light projected over it. She stepped closer and reached out toward the light only to pull her hand back quickly as a panel shifted to reveal a secret compartment. The table let out a series of mechanical noises as it raised its treasures to the light.

Shyon recoiled. She knew that mask, despite it being deformed—melted. It was Darth Vader’s mask. The one that had struck fear into the heart of the Galaxy.

But Tekka’s voice rang in her head. It reminded her of Anakin’s tragedy and how he fulfilled the prophecy of the Chosen One when he betrayed the Emperor and saved Luke. There was goodness, Light—wasn’t there?

She slowly reached out and let her fingers brush against the melted casing. A shock shot up her arm but she didn’t pull away.

“Help me,” she whispered, not entirely sure who she was talking to. Maybe she was talking to Anakin who had seen the light at the end; he was Kylo—Ben’s grandfather. There was hope in that, right? There was something very calming in the moment. It was almost as if being in the same room as the mask was serene.

_Help him._

Shyon spun at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. It was warm but tired, as if the carrier had been on a long journey. And there was no one else in the room with her.

“Hello?” Again, Shyon acknowledged her own stupidity but did nothing to remedy it.

_Neither light nor dark. That is your path. The voice continued, unabated by her inability to make sense of anything at the moment._

“Who are you?”

_He needs the light. He needs the dark. You are the balance._

“Show yourself!” She exclaimed. And just like that, the presence she had felt disappeared. It was impressive that she could insult a non-entity to the point they ran away from her. 

Shyon steeled herself against the strange feeling she felt crawling up her neck. Something terrible was going to happen. She scrambled and somehow managed to find another door which revealed what had to be Kylo’s bedroom. And he seemed to have multiples of the strange black outfit. 

Perfect. 

It was probably a stupid idea—she was full of those, she supposed—but it was the only one she had. She stuffed her feet into his boots after pulling on his black trousers and tunic. Next came the hood. It covered her hair and a majority of her face—maybe she could escape. Her Naboo tunic and leggings, already ruined from her trip through the woods, were in a rumpled mess on the floor. She grabbed her bag and hefted it onto her shoulder as she looked at the door separating Kylo’s quarters from the rest of the Starship. She forced the door open and stepped out. It was surprising to see no guards stationed outside of the room. The hall was empty. Shyon quickly made her way down the hall and turned, and turned, and turned. She needed to find a hangar. It would be rough, and she’d probably end up crashing and burning, but she needed to find a starship and get the hell out of here. She’d even try to fly a TIE fighter if it was the first one she could safely get her hands on. 

She needed to leave. 

Kylo would find her—he said he would. Maybe he would but right now, she didn’t care. From her time on the Resistance base, talking with Kaydel, she knew that Star Destroyers had four different hangars. Four different opportunities to leave. 

And, after what seemed like almost an hour, she found a hangar. And with her luck, of course, it was buzzing with people. She slunk down the steps and kept to the side of the hangar, staying out of the line of sight of everyone walking around. The black clothing lent itself to be inconspicuous. But there were no freighters of shuttles in sight. She stepped up a sloped ladder and slid into the first available TIE fighter. The controls were almost familiar. They were a little more slick than the Salvager and there seemed to be almost twice as many buttons and controls but it seemed like she would be able to fly it. 

It took a few moments for her to gather the courage to actually press the ignition. She disengaged the lock and took a deep breath. 

But then she felt it. 

It felt as if someone was squeezing her lungs, flattening them with jagged rocks. Life was being pulled from the Galaxy. It burned. It felt as if there were flames licking at her skin—and then everything stopped. And there was something like a void pulsing within her chest.

Something terrible had happened. 

Shyon turned her head to see small streaks of red light ending in spherical flashes of crimson light. The Hosnian System. They had destroyed the Hosnian System—home of the New Republic and millions of people. 

“Ben…” Kylo’s real name slipped from her lips unconsciously. 

Did he feel that too? Did he feel the lives being taken? 

Shyon rested her head against the steering handles of the Fighter and tried to steady her breathing and get rid of the oncoming nausea. 

So much death. 

It took her a moment to realize that the hangar was now in a frenzy. Pilots, officers, and Stormtroopers alike were swarming. She hurriedly fired up the engine and sped out of the hangar, hitting hyperdrive as soon as possible, not changing the coordinates already flashing on her screen. 

Anything had to be better than the First Order’s Star Destroyer, right?

Wrong. 

A huge, snow-covered planet was in front of her now. Something that looked like a large cannon had been shoved into the middle of the planet, splitting it in half. There was nothing warm about the planet; nothing welcoming or amiable. There was a darkness about it, as if imbued blackness. She had heard of the planet base for the First Order but it seemed like no one actually could pin point where it was in the vast Galaxy.

Shyon fumbled with the comm system, frantically trying to remember the obscure code to connect to the D’Qar base. 

She found the connection and didn’t even wait to be given clearance. Spouting off the coordinates, she pleaded that they send recon ship. “I’ve found the First Order base.”

“Who is this?” The voice on the other side thundered.

“Jerriko. Now, please—just do what I said!” She hurriedly turned off the comm system and adjusted it, losing the connection. 

She knew it would be suspicious for a TIE fighter to just hover in the stratosphere above the planet so she started to chart a course away from the Base when her comm system once again buzzed with life.

“Identify yourself.”

Shyon’s hazel eyes shot around the console in search anything that could give her a name, a cover. “TG-5393,” she responded after seeing a small plate near the compressor gauge. 

“You’re cleared for landing.” Short and to the point. Well, there went her only chance to escape. She’d probably be followed if she went into hyperdrive now.

Shyon shakily landed the plane in the nearest hangar she could find and braced herself for the questioning looks she would get from the First Order officers when she stepped out of the Fighter. And she was right, people did stop and stare as she slowly descended the stairs to the shining tarmac. 

“Stop.” Someone called out and Shyon froze. “Identify yourself.” It seemed to be the request of the day.

“If you wish to know who I am, ask Master Ren.” Shyon put as much steel as she could into her tone without looking at the officer questioning her. 

“I—we weren’t expecting a guest for Master Ren. I-”

“Then I suggest you leave me be so as to not insult me and Ren further. Understood?”

“Um—I—”

Shyon just walked away, confidently in one direction, as if she knew what she was doing. Lack of confidence would surely give her away. “Show no fear,” she muttered to herself, making sure the hood properly covered her face. “Show no fear.”

**

If Shyon was being completely honest, she had no idea what she was doing. She had wanted to set off to the Outer Rim but found herself on what she learned was called Starkiller Base instead, right in the middle of the First Order operations. What the actual hell was she doing? Really.

As she wandered the base, she heard mumblings and mutterings of what had transpired on Takodana. How the First Order had been told about the missing droid—presumably BB-8—and tracked it there only to get into a firefight with the Resistance.

“Kylo Ren is on his way here now,” one Trooper said to another, near giddy. 

Shyon diverted her course around a corner and somehow found a small cubby to hide. She wiped the sweat off her face with the end of the sleeve and closed her eyes. For an ice planet, it was definitely warm. She need to concentrate, do something useful, spend some time, and then run. Run like her life depended on it. Because she was sure it did.   
But then she felt it. It felt like wrinkled, cold fingers digging into her forehead, trying to claw their way passed skin and bone. 

_Who are you?_ An aged, angry voice asked. 

“Get out of my head,” Shyon responded, pushing her hands over her face as if that would stop the assault. She knew who it was in an instant. Snoke. Her mental guards shot up again—Shyon assumed they must have crumbled under the impact of the destruction of the Hosnian System. “Get out,” she whimpered, curling her hands into her hair. 

_I know you feel it. Give in. Let me see you, see the darkness in your heart._

“Get out!” She screamed. 

Silence. There were no voices in her head, no prodding at her subconscious. There was a simple, beautiful silence. She had shut him out.

Blood was making her fingers slick. When had she dug her fingernails into her skin? She wiped the blood off with the cloak and tried to steady her breathing. It wasn’t working. Perhaps it was residual feelings from the annihilation of an entire system, but a sinking feeling was still gnawing at her. It likely stemmed from her altercation with Snoke but something else seemed to be at play on the planet.

Shyon got her answer as she ventured out of her small hiding spot.

“Move the prisoner to IR-342.”

Two Stormtroopers were caring the limp form of Rey—they were either oblivious to Shyon’s presence in the hallway or didn’t care. 

Shyon followed them at a distance, keeping her face covered under the cloak hood. She watched them strap the young woman to a strange table-like contraption. It was identical to the one Poe had been strapped to only a few days ago. 

Poe. It had been a long time since she had seen him, looked on his kind features and heard his soft voice. What had become of him since he had been strapped down and interrogated? When…if she ever got to see him again…

The thought didn’t finish as she hid around a corner when the Stormtroopers exited the room. 

It was easy to get the door to open and Shyon slid inside the interrogation room. Rey was wilted in the restraints, still unconscious. 

“Rey,” Shyon whispered. How could she help Rey without getting both of them caught? But why had she been taken? 

Shyon frowned as an idea crossed her mind. It was cruel, she supposed. But she needed to know. Shyon steadily raised her arm and focused on Rey, sending out a silent apology to the scavenger. Because she was unconscious, Rey’s thoughts and memories were jumbled and out of order. But then she saw what she suspected led to Rey’s capture. It was a map, tucked away into a familiar BB unit. It had been the map she found in Jakku. 

A map to Luke Skywalker…

And then she felt all the loneliness Rey had endured, being abandoned by her family. How alone she felt, growing up in the hull of a crashed AT-AT. That was no life. No childhood. 

Shyon disconnected from Rey slowly as to not injure her. 

Shyon felt the connection to the younger girl she had felt back during their brief meeting on Jakku. A kindred spirit, maybe. They were both alone, outcasts. But maybe it was something else. She could feel the Force surrounding the brunette, nearly pulsing. Rey was a Force-sensitive. And a strong one. 

“I’ll come back for you,” Shyon whispered, taking a moment to wipe a bit of dirt and perspiration from Rey’s forehead and cheeks. “I promise.” 

Shyon’s head snapped back as she felt a familiar presence coming near the room. Kylo Ren. She hurriedly left the room, closing the door behind her and slunk back toward the hangar. It was a minor miracle she remembered where to turn. But she would admit that it did take her a bit longer than she had anticipated. (And maybe she did make a few wrong turns. But now wasn’t the time to be thinking about how directionally challenged she was.)

She heard murmurs from the Stormtroopers around the tarmac saying that they had found the Resistance base. That the recon ship they had sent was easily tracked. Shyon kicked herself—she had led them into a trap. 

“Man, I can’t wait to see that weapon fire up again. I missed when we hit the Hosnian system.” The Stormtrooper chuckled. The mass murder of millions of people was amusing?   
And it was easy to connect the dots, the First Order was planning on hitting the Ileenium system. 

“Shit.” 

She was sprinting before she could stop herself, running toward the TIE fighter she had landed only an hour ago. 

Really, what had her life come to? Running from a Dark Jedi only to wind up in the heart of the First Order base. If she got out of this, she was going to find an uninhabited planet and never leave. Ever. This was too much drama for her. 

She climbed into the TIE fighter and fired up the engine only to see a small battalion of Stormtroopers surrounding the starship. 

“Dammit.” She hurriedly found the D’Qar frequency, tapping out a small message. It was a warning about the First Order targeting the Resistance Base next. She could only hope it would make it to D’Qar in time by the time she switched frequencies again.

“You’re surrounded. Get out of the starship with your hands up!” 

Shyon looked up to see one of the larger cannons was also trained on her. There was no way she was getting out of this. She unsealed the door and stepped out, refusing to raise her hands. 

“No fear, no fear,” she chanted, feeling her palms grow slick.

“Identify yourself.”

“No. I’ve been asked that three times today and I refuse to answer it again.” Well, maybe if she got out of this she could figure out how to talk to people like a regular human being. Half of what came out of her mouth now was just antagonistic or metaphorical—even she was getting tired of herself. And this situation.

“Take her inside.”

Her arms were grasped firmly by two Stormtroopers and she was led back into the base. It would be easy to get out of this, but running back to the Fighter while the cannon was still primed to fire wasn’t exactly a smart move. She let them drag her along the halls until they stopped at an unassuming, identical door. It opened and she was shoved inside. Shyon topped to her knees and the hood slid back, revealing her dirty strawberry-blonde hair. 

“You said you would stay.”

“I said for a moment. I stayed for a moment. And then I left—and the First Order destroyed an entire system. How could you just sit back and let that happen?” She looked up to see him standing above her, his mask back in place. 

“I didn’t know. Hux said the weapon was ready but last time he had said that it malfunctioned. I was hoping he had overstated his abilities again.”

“ _Hope?_ You were hoping? You should have done something to stop it from working.”

“I was on the Destroyer—with you—when Hux fired the weapon.”

“Don’t try to blame this on me.” Shyon shot to her feet. “You could’ve stopped it. I know you could have. Did you feel it? When the weapon hit the system, did you feel the lives being sucked away? Burned alive? Because I did. I felt all of it.”

“I can teach you to ignore it, build defenses against it.”

“I don’t want to not feel! I don’t want to be a pawn to Snoke. He’s already attempted to get into my head. I’ve felt his power, his raw, evil power. How can you subject yourself to that? Is power all you truly crave? Why waste your time with me?”

“You wield the dark so easily for someone who wishes to have no part in this.”

“Stop accusing me of being like you.” She squared her shoulders. “I am a good person. And maybe, once upon a time, you were too. Dammit, Ben,” she spit out the name, “what have you done?”

Before she could blink, she was pressed against the wall behind her, feet dangling a few inches above the floor. “That name-”

“Your father told me your name.” Shyon struggled against the invisible hold but found no way to break it. She wasn’t strong enough. Not yet. “Do you know what you’ve done to him? To your mother?”

“Don’t talk about them! You don’t know!” His pale face was growing red with rage. His outstretched hand was starting to tremble.

“You’ve had everything I ever wanted. A loving home—stability. And you threw it away like it was garbage, for what? Power? I’ve sensed Snoke. All he wants is power and he will throw you away when he’s finished with you. Can’t you feel that? Don’t you understand what he’s doing to you?”

Kylo shook and then abruptly turned. Shyon slumped to the floor, twisting her wrist as she attempted to catch herself. A hiss was pushed out from between her teeth.

“I’m not a rag doll you can throw around in a tantrum.” She stood up, cradling her throbbing wrist close to her chest. “You can’t treat people like this. And what about Poe? Did you kill him?”

“He shouldn’t have kissed you—he was projecting his thoughts out like a beacon.”

“He was scared! Scared he was going to die!”

They were both quiet for a moment before he turned and walked back over to her. Instinctively, Shyon backed up—only to meet with a wall. He stopped short, his thick eyebrows furrowing.

“You’re scared of me.”

“You just used your abilities on me and you’ve killed hundreds of people. What do you expect? Devotion? I’m not stupid. Of course I’m scared of you. I’ve always been scared of you.”

“Let me see your wrist,” Kylo said, holding out his hand.

“No.”

“Shyon.”

“No.”

He stepped closer and she pressed closer to the wall, feeling her heartbeat accelerate. Almost too gently, he pried her wrist away from her chest. The familiar warmth bloomed in her chest as he peeled one of his gloves off and pressed the pads of his fingers onto her pulse point. It was probably psychosomatic, but the pain receded at his touch.

“I’m sorry.” It was hushed, whispered like a secret. Brown avoided hazel as he drew small circles into her pale skin.

“You should be.”

Kylo looked up at her then, brown eyes filled with emotions she thought him incapable of feeling. “I don’t want to be this, this man. I never want to hurt you or push you away.” The circles continued and the warmth continued to grow. “There had been whispers of a girl helping the Resistance, helping fugitives escape, aiding the escaped droid. Every time I thought it was you.” He sighed and his other hand gently touched her cheek. Shyon couldn’t help but push further into his grip; like a reflex, she needed to be closer. They grew closer as he continued to speak. “I will admit I was relieved when it wasn’t. I couldn’t bear to keep up a façade in front of Snoke if it was you strapped to that chair.” He sighed and both of his hands were sliding up into her hair. “When I first found you on Soccoro, I had this plan to take you and your father away, hide you until it was finished. I could’ve faked a crash easily.” She could feel every breath he took in and pushed out, their chest colliding with steady rhythm. “I have so much to tell you. Everything will make sense later.”

“What are you keeping from me?” She whispered.

“Everything.” A kiss to her forehead made her smile despite his answer.

“Snoke knows of my presence.” Shyon sighed and let herself feel the fabric of his robes, it was soothing, kept her mind from jumping to terrible conclusions.

“He does. But it is just an inkling. He is too far away from here to know exactly who you are.” There was something in Kylo’s eyes that scared her. Taking a chance, Shyon let her guards down and let Ben’s emotions wash over her. It came like a tidal wave when she had been expecting a steady stream.

“You’re scared.”

He nodded. “Terrified. I’ve kept your presence a closely guarded secret since I first sensed you on Coruscant. And even before then.”

“What do you mean?”

The small trace of a smile pushed up his full lips. “Before I even knew you existed, I had dreams of you. Small glimpses of you. I could see what you were doing. I could see the future. Or what would have been the future if I’d been given a different path.” The smile turned bitter and a feeling of loss touched her mind.

“What was it? What did you see?”

“The First Order was defeated long before either of us were even born. I was a Jedi and I met you on Naboo. You were draped in green and working at the Royal Library. It was easy, peaceful. I took you on as an apprentice, taught you how to channel your power.” He paused. “We fell in love slowly. There was little conflict and peace reigned.”

The pricking of tears at the back of Shyon’s eyes drew her closer to him. “It sounds like the stuff of fairytales.”

“It could have been.”

“And now?” Shyon asked, dreading the answer.

“Now, I have to hide you away, keep you a secret from Snoke in all aspects of my life. In my head. My heart.” He sighed and wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger, once again feeling the silk between his fingers. It didn’t seem to bother him that there were still leaves and small bits of twigs littered about. “I want you to know that I’m…I have to do something terrible, unforgiveable. But please, whatever you do, do not shut me out. I need you.”

A chill shot down her spine as the words spilled out of his mouth. The warmth pulsed, knowing it was needed. “Ben-”

He chuckled. “It sounds right, my old name on your lips.”

“Ben, tell me what’s going on.” Shyon looked up at him, eyes pleading. “If I’m not allowed to shut you out, you aren’t allowed to shut me out either.”

He shook his head, dark hair sliding across his cheekbones. “I can’t. This is a path I must walk alone.” His longer fingers slid across her dirt-smudge cheek before he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers briefly. “Trust me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! And I'm starting to write a Poe series, sort of a sequel to this, but maybe a spin-off is a better term. What do you guys think? Thanks! <3


	7. D'Qar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again, my lovely readers!  
> Here is the next chapter.  
> I hope you like it. Thank you again, to everyone who left comments, kudos, and bookmarks!

Shyon was led back out to the TIE fighter by a group of Stormtroopers who seemed to be on edge. They might have been the same troopers who “escorted” her back to Ben in the first place. After getting a very short yet nightmare-inducing “pep talk” on the importance of treating “Master Ren’s” guests “with the utmost respect” she was being treated like a queen who liked to chop people’s heads off for fun. And maybe that is what they thought she was. Kylo Ren wasn’t one to receive guests—it had been pure luck that he was back on planet when she arrived and it was protocol that all suspected trespassers be delivered directly to him. But when he gave orders to the troopers, everyone was quick to follow them.

He had left her with the parting words, “I’ll find you.”

“Do you need anything, Ma’am?” One of the Stormtroopers asked as she went to grab the small ladder leading up to the TIE fighter. “For your journey?”

“No.” She didn’t need to be polite. Ben had told her that a memory wipe was probably necessary to keep her presence on the base a secret. It seemed cruel but necessary.

As she settled back into the pilot’s seat, she thought that turn of phrase suited Ben. Cruel but necessary. Once again, he had explained that there were larger forces at work in the Galaxy. Larger than Snoke. Larger than the Resistance. “I promise you, it will make sense later. When I’m finished with my mission.”

It was emotionally exhausting for Shyon to be pulled back and forth between hatred and longing for Ben. Within moments of being near him, she was near aching for his contact. Even when she had sworn to herself she wanted nothing to do with him or the bond. As the starship started its ascent, she thought back to the other life Ben had described. How they could have been happy if the Galaxy kept them in favor. It would never happen like that.

Just as she hit the crest of the stratosphere of Starkiller Base, she caught a glimpse of something hurtling toward the planet. It was gone quicker than a blink of an eye but the TIE Fighter’s own scanners caught it. It projected an image of a familiar freighter.

“Han.”

Shyon turned the Fighter around and followed it. It was making its descent at light speed? What were they thinking? She knew the shields of the Base were intense; perhaps it was a way of getting by them? Nonetheless, Shyon hovered a bit farther away from the planet, just out of range of their scanners.

Minutes ticked by and then a small alarm noise sounded in the cockpit of her ship. She read the alert and arched an eyebrow. The shields were down.

The Resistance must be planning something.

Taking a chance, Shyon flew back down to the surface near where she had watched the Millennium Falcon make its quick descent and followed it, hiding her own starship between a few felled trees. It had been easy to go unnoticed. Resistance X-Wings and First Order TIE fighters were all battling over a large, black domed-building, oblivious to her presence. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself as snow whipped around her with the wind. It was much colder here, away from the cannon.

Shyon pushed forward, following the quickly disappearing tracks in the snow. They lead to a large, metal structure with a steep ladder. The footprints went around the structure, presumably into the base through another door around the side. Squinting against the snow, she saw a large stream of red and yellow light being funneled down toward the planet.

They must be firing up the weapon—and it dawned on her: they now knew where the Resistance was based. That’s what Han was doing on planet, he was stopping the destruction of D’Qar. She saw the sign above the ladder, denoting that the structure stood as an outpost for the Thermal Oscillator.

Perfect.

She scrambled up the ladder, breathing heavily as she reached the top. The sounds of the intensifying, ongoing battle met her ears but she didn’t turn back. The familiar presences of Han and Chewie instantly touched at her mind and she ran down to a lower level in search of them. As her luck would have it, she ran face-first into Chewie’s hairy chest.

He let out a growl and his bowcaster pointed right at her heart.

“Chewie, it’s me. It’s Shyon.” She pulled off the hood and raised her hands.

The Wookiee lowered his weapon and wrapped her in a tight hug. A series of rumbles followed.

“I promise, I’m not doing anything with the Dark side. I’m here to help. Let me help.”

Chewie handed her a handful of round explosives and gave her instructions to go to the lower levels and hide the explosives against structural supports. It should help destabilize it enough to help the Resistance fighters keep the weapon from firing. Shyon ran down the stairs and dodged the few troopers who were stationed around the oscillator. It was easy, almost too easy. She placed the explosives where she thought they’d make the most damage.

Something tickled the back of her mind, making her look up.

“Ben!” Han shouted.

Ben stood in the middle of a guardless walkway and Han followed him out. The rest of the conversation was too quiet to hear from her submerged position. But there was no warmth. She was chilled to the bone and it wasn’t because of the weather outside. A streak of red light appeared and she felt it as if it had stung her.

Kylo Ren had killed Han Solo. Not Ben.

There was a distraught cry from Chewie and Kylo went down, a bowcaster shot to the stomach.

Han’s body was hurtling toward her and she did all she could do. Shyon reached out and gently caught it before it could fall into the abyss. She pulled him close, lowering them both to her knees. The toll of catching him with the Force drained her for a moment but she perked up when she saw Han’s eyes flutter for a moment.

“Han?” she asked quietly, a small flicker of hope coloring her words.

“Jerriko?” The word was slurred, as if liquid was bubbling up his throat.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s me.”

“What…are you doing h-here?” He attempted to sit up only to have Shyon push him back down, her hand covering the large wound in his chest. She knew it was a frivolous endeavor. The wound had gone straight through. It was a miracle he was still alive right now.

Tears started to distort her vision. “I…I was trying to help him see the Light.”

Han smiled, a bit of blood covering his teeth. “I knew it was there. It’s still there.”

Shyon didn’t say anything. How could she tell him there was no light left? Once again, Kylo had dangled happiness in front of her only to rip it away. And here was Han, dying in her arms and believing there was still Light in his son. She couldn’t and wouldn’t dissuade him from his ideas. But didn’t he see the hole in his chest?

“Stay with him. Be…his Light.”

“I’ll try.”

“There is Light…there is Light…” Han pulled in a shaking breath before completely collapsing. His head fell against Shyon’s chest, his eyes closed for the last time.

And that is when the explosives detonated. The warmth from the fire nearly singed her hair and her ears started to ring. She needed to leave. Now. She pulled Han closer and focused on getting out of there, uncharred. It took her relying on the Force, once again, to get them out of there. She needed it to carry Han out—she couldn’t do it on her own strength.

By the time she made it out of the Oscillator, it seemed like the planet was crumbling, pulling itself apart from the inside. Strength was waning. And the TIE Fighter was so close. But then she saw it. The crack appeared a few steps ahead of her, creating a large, nearly volcanic orifice in the landscape. And Rey and Kylo were dueling near it, wielding lightsabers.

There was death in Rey’s eyes. She wanted to kill him. Rey spun and knocked Kylo to his knees before cutting upward, right across his face. Shyon’s heart thundered in her chest. Had she killed him? But then he moved, sitting up in the snow with a fresh laceration across his features. The planet cracked again and Rey was separated from her prey. She turned and ran.

A sound of hushed pain rose from the man in black in the snow. Emotions and decisions warred within Shyon. Gently, she placed Han in the snow and wrapped his body with the large cloak. And then she walked toward Kylo. She stood above him as he lay in the snow, blood dribbling down his cheek.

“Are you real?” He asked, his eyes unfocused. He winced with every breath. Unable to move.

“Of course I’m real.” Shyon knelt down next to him and pushed his sweat-soaked hair away from his wound. “What have you done?” Her voice was soft.

He leaned into her hand as it slid across his unblemished cheek. “I did…what was necessary. Trust me. Trust in me.”

Shyon shook her head, fresh tears starting to fall. She leaned down and pressed her lips to his forehead before lightly brushing them against his. “I could’ve loved you,” she whispered against his lips. “I could’ve loved you.”

“Trust me,” he whispered back. His breath smelled like blood.

“Kylo-”

“Ben. Call me Ben.” His brown eyes were pleading, staring up at her as she sat straight.

“Kylo!” An unfamiliar voice sounded in the distance.

“Leave me here,” he said. “I’ll find you.”

“I don’t want to. Let me take you home, get you help.”

“I have to finish this.”

“Ben, I-”

“Kylo Ren!” The voice sounded again, drastically closer now.

“Run. Run and don’t look back.”

Shyon did as she was told and ran.

**

The Resistance base on D’Qar was in full celebration mode when she approached the planet. Her Fighter was nearly shot down by the guards but she quickly identified herself and was allowed to pass.

Leia was there to greet her on the tarmac.

“I’m sorry,” Shyon whispered as she gently placed Han’s body at Leia’s feet. “I’m so sorry.”

Leia pulled in a breath and straightened her shoulders but Shyon still saw the tears hiding in the corners of her eyes. “Thank you, for bringing him back.”

“He was a good man. He…he didn’t deserve this.”

Leia signaled for two people to come and get the body without a word.

“And my son?”

“I thought I saw Light in him, goodness. But every time I think I’m sure of something, he…he makes me see differently.”

Leia nodded once. “I understand.”

There was a strange silence between the two women as the celebration continued behind them. Then Leia suddenly rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Shyon. And Shyon couldn’t hold it together any longer. The tears cascaded down her face in a silent fury, soaking the shoulder of Leia’s vest. Dampness grew on Shyon’s shoulder as well, the only indication that Leia had cried at all.

Neither of them moved. Time passed and tears dried and only then did they separate.

“You smell like you’ve been through Hoth and back,” the General quipped. It managed to pull a smile from Shyon. “Your quarters are still yours. Wash up. I have a guest who wants to meet you. I’ll come to you later.”

Shyon smiled and set off to do as she was told. But the untouched atmosphere of her former living space with her father brought back all the memories she had repressed. He would never call her “Shy” again. She would never hear him snore again. There would be no more flying lessons or planetary excursions filled with trivia games. There would be no more impromptu mechanical lessons. He was gone. Forever.

And maybe that was why she felt so determined to bring Han back to Leia. She deserved to have a place to mourn. Shyon had nothing.

Slowly, she washed herself and pulled out her well-worn and now slightly singed bag. The first piece she saw was a green Naboo gown. One not unlike the dress Ben had told he had seen in their alternate lives. She held it up to her chest for a moment, letting the imagery of a happy life invade her mind for a moment before letting it drop.

She pulled on her old clothing, still hung in the small closet, and set back out onto the tarmac. The sun had set while she was inside and the base was now lit up with small lanterns and flood lights. Almost everyone, from ground control to pilots, was out on the runway. Food was being passed around, music played and being danced to, jokes were laughed at. It truly was a celebration. R6 was the first to greet her, beeping happily before wandering off with R2.

“Shyon!”

Her head snapped to the side to see Poe running toward her, a large smile on his face.

A short stutter caught in her heart. He was alive. His arms wrapped around her in a tight hug before she could even blink.

“You’re alive,” they both said at the same time.

“How? How did you make it out alive?” She questioned before he could ask her what had happened. He regaled her with the tale of the Stormtrooper, now called Finn, and his strange rescue then his time on Jakku before being rescued.

“But you? What happened to you? I had heard you left Naboo when a First Order spy got wind of your time there.”

Someone had covered for her, knew she had been running and told Poe a lie to keep him in the dark. It had to have been Leia. She was the only one who knew. Han must have told her about Shyon leaving Naboo. Shyon looked up at Poe, his hands now cradling her arms as if afraid she’d slip away. “Yeah. I didn’t want to be the one who let slip where the base was. So I ran. I ran until I’d heard what had happened.”

Poe chuckled. “You’re downplaying quite a bit. Snap told me you were the one to find the First Order base. How did you even-”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she whispered, cutting off his question. She looked up at him, knowing her eyes were filled with pleading.

Poe frowned but nodded. “Would you like to dance?”

“Um, sure.”

Poe, near giddy, pulled her toward the group of dancers, slowly swaying to the beat being hit out on the speakers. The song sang of a long battle but a glorious victory. Lyrics about love were mingled throughout with the melody. He held her close and Shyon let herself smile at the familiarity of the situation. Poe was familiar.

“You know,” he whispered into her ear, “when I was being held by the First Order, and I thought I was going to die, I thought of you.”

Shyon let out a gentle noise, pressing him to say more.

“I thought about how you felt in my arms, how it felt to kiss you.” As if to prove his point, his lips skimmed across her cheek. “I-”

“Shy!” Kaydel screamed.

Shyon stepped back from Poe without looking at him to see Kaydel running toward her. Her blonde hair was out of her usual identical buns and now fell to her elbows in gold waves. Before Shyon could offer her own greeting, Kaydel jumped and wrapped her arms and legs around Shyon in a very aggressive hug. Shyon stumbled but managed to retain her footing as she wrapped her arms around Kaydel. The scent of alcohol was pungent. Poor Kaydel was super drunk.

“I’ve missed you so much. Everyone thought you were dead but not me. I knew you were alive. I knew my friend was alive. You’re too amazing to ever die.” She was babbling.

Shyon could feel the absolute adoration just pouring out of Kaydel. There were no defenses with her right now. “I’ve missed you too.” And it was the truth.

Kaydel just giggled and pressed a wet kiss to Shyon’s cheek.

“Jerriko,” the General’s voice cut through the music with ease and Shyon spun, Kaydel still in her arms, to see Leia standing off to the side of the airstrip, Rey by her side. Leia waved her hand once, calling her over. Shyon gently pulled Kaydel off of her with a smile and a promise to come back. She smiled at Poe who had quickly become Kaydel’s object of attention.

“You’ll come back, right?” He asked. “We haven’t finished our dance.”

“I’ll try.”

Poe seemed a little dejected but nodded and focused on steering Kaydel toward a table of water.

Shyon straightened her shoulders as she neared Rey and Leia.

“I know you,” Rey said, her eyes narrowed, analyzing.

“We met on Jakku. I’d asked if you had ever been off planet.”

Rey smiled: it was bright but broken. “Yeah, that’s right.”

“Shyon,” Leia said, “I wanted to formally introduce you to Rey.”

Rey tilted her head to the side, her own hazel eyes calculating.

Leia smiled and stepped back. “I’ll let you two talk.” She easily disappeared into the depths of the base, away from the revelers.

“I saw you. And not just on Jakku. I saw you when I touched Ren’s mind.”

Shyon didn’t say anything.

“You were crying. But not just that. There were others—he loves you. Do you know? I wasn’t sure someone like him was capable of love but it seems to be the truth.”

Shyon let out a shaky breath. “I don’t know. Everything has gone…a bit chaotic recently, to be honest.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to think or how to feel.”

Rey frowned. “And I saw you. You were there in the room before Ren was.”

“I-”

“You were kind.”

Shyon stayed silent. How could this girl be so strong? She saw straight through Ben’s defenses to where he had kept his memories of her locked away and could remember things from when she was unconscious. And Rey seemed to be made of pure light. There was nothing malicious about her.

“I wanted to come back, like I said I would. But I-”

Rey gave another one of her soft, broken smiles. “You brought him back. I think that’s enough.” It was quiet for a moment. “I know you can wield the Force too. I can feel it.”

Shyon nodded, a rueful smile on her lips. “I’m not nearly as powerful as you.”

“Come with me.”

“Where?” Shyon asked, genuinely confused.

“To find Luke Skywalker. I’m setting out in the morning. R2-D2 woke up and the map is complete. Come with me. Together, I think we can convince him to come back, train us.”

Shyon shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I…I’m not a force for good, Rey. There are pieces of me that are dark and cruel.” The pieces of her soul she knew hungered for power, control, destruction were small but still pervasive.

“You are not wholly evil, Shyon,” Rey said, stepping closer. “There is goodness in you. Light. Everyone here can sense it. No one with darkness in their hearts could be as self-sacrificing as you have been.”

“You don’t know me.”

“True. But I stand by what I said. No one with darkness in their heart could be as kind as you. Please, come with me.” Rey held out her hand toward Shyon.

The older woman looked down at the hand, knowing what could happen if she went to Skywalker, asked him for training. It could lead to darkness, betrayal of everything her father and she stood for, to more needless destruction of lives. But it could also come to show her how to balance the light and the dark.

If the voice she had heard in Ben’s chambers was right, she could be grey. She could be a balance. Maybe, if she knew how to fight properly, how to fully wield the Force, she could help Ben. Help him come back, see the Light.

“You are the first priority.” Shyon put her hand in Rey’s and shook. “I’m merely a spectator until Skywalker says otherwise.”

**

Chewie helped her with her bag the next morning. He paused for a moment and hugged her tightly, letting out a low, mournful howl. He knew what she had done for Han and Leia. He promised he wouldn’t forget it.

It seemed as if the entire base had come out to see them off. She supposed it was the base’s final large mission. After their location had been compromised, they were searching for a new location. 

“You’re coming back this time, right?” Poe chuckled as he wrapped her in a hug.

“Barring any catastrophic failures, yes, I’ll be back.”

“Good.” Poe kissed her lips quickly, catching her off guard.

“Um, stay safe, Poe.”

“I’m the best Pilot in the Galaxy. I’ll be fine.”

Shyon just smiled and walked away, hugging Leia before boarding. What else was she supposed to do?

“May the Force be with you,” the General whispered.

“May the Force be with you too.”

Shyon found her place in the back of the Millennium Falcon, away from the cockpit. She didn’t want to see where they were going, it was still a bit too risky in her opinion. What if Ben’s defenses fell and Snoke could sense her again, see where she was? Everything would crumble before even getting started. The trip was short and Shyon stayed behind with Chewie and R2 as Rey took the trek up the ragged landscape in search of Luke Skywalker.

R2 was beeping excitedly and Chewbacca seemed to be excited too, but significantly less so. Shyon patted his arm with a weak smile as he sighed.

A thought crossed Shyon’s mind as she looked at the Wookiee. “You could’ve killed him,” she whispered. “You could’ve killed him easily but you didn’t.”

Chewie shook his head, instantly knowing what she was talking about. Silence once again reigned on the island. Water lapped at the rocky shores and the wind blew, whistling through the crags and sharp points of the steep island formations.

It was peaceful on the island. Rey had mentioned that this place was supposed to be an ancient Jedi temple-the first, if the legends were true. Shyon saw the draw of the place, saw the reason behind Luke’s hermitage and the solace he found here. Perhaps she could stay here, away from everyone and the troubles of the Galaxy. Surrounded by peace didn’t sound unpleasant.

Eventually, Rey and an older man in a traditional Jedi robe and garb, who Shyon assumed to be Skywalker, descended from the top of the mountain.

Both Chewbacca and R2 let out excited beeps and roars and surrounded Skywalker for a few moments, stating how much they had missed him and how happy they were to see him. He quietly told them he had missed them too. Then Skywalker’s muted blue eyes trained on Shyon. There was calm calculation in his gaze. He didn’t say anything and they all shuffled back into the Falcon, returning to D’Qar.

**

The base was abuzz with excitement despite the time just passing midnight by the time they arrived. Rey and Luke were swept away by Leia and her generals and Shyon managed to sneak back to her room without too much fanfare. It didn’t make sense. She shouldn’t have gone. It had just been a simple retrieval mission anyway. Rey could’ve done it on her own. Really, Shyon could’ve gone on without feeling the weight of Skywalker’s stare.

Shyon tossed and turned for a few hours only to gain a short two hour nap before giving up and walking into the forest surrounding the base. It was exactly the same as it had been when she first landed her with her father.

Birds chirped in the early morning light. Flowers bloomed and praised the sun, little petals damp with dew. It was tranquil. Maybe she should be chasing tranquility instead of happiness. Happiness seemed to be ripped out from under her on a daily basis and she was tired of dealing with the constant melee of emotions it came with. A fruitless struggle. 

She settled herself at the base of a large tree, letting the sun touch her skin through the leaves.

Kaydel sat down next to her, crossing her legs in front of herself with ease. Apparently Kaydel hid her hangovers well. “Are we hiding today?”

“No. Not hiding.” Shyon chuckled. “I’m just giving the heroes time to get their welcome. I’d just be in everyone’s way. There’s no need for me to run around today.” It was true, Leia had briefly announced her wariness of sending Shyon out on more smuggling hauls. The General had wanted Shyon to stay behind after Luke returned. She knew it was because Leia hoped to have Shyon train as well but Shyon wanted to stand by what she had said to Rey: she should be an afterthought until after Rey is fully trained. She wasn’t important. 

Not like Rey.

Kaydel leaned her head against Shyon’s shoulder with a sigh. “I missed you a lot, you know.”

“I missed you too.” Shyon smiled. “One day I’ll take you on an adventure with me and show you everything I’ve seen.”

“Poe mentioned Naboo?”

“Yeah. Naboo is beautiful—they don’t call it the Jewel of the Mid-Rim for no reason. We’ll stop there first.”

Kaydel laughed and caught her up on the goings-on of the base while she was gone. It was mostly a list of who had shacked up and who had gotten killed. There was a lull in the conversation as a flock of birds shot into the sky, in search of their morning food.

“You seem sad,” Kaydel said.

“I am,” Shyon confessed.

“I think it’s okay to be sad, especially after what you’ve gone through.”

A rueful smile pulled at Shyon’s mouth. She didn’t know the half of it. “Thank you.”

Kaydel shuffled a bit before pulling out a small bag from behind her. “I brought breakfast.” Inside was a small assortment of sweetbread and jams. A bottle of water was tucked inside too. The pair sat in silence, watching the sun move across the sky, in easy familiarity as they picked at the food.

Eventually, Kaydel was pulled back to her station and Shyon remained near the tree. For a moment, she was content.

But then Skywalker stood next to her, looking down at her with the same calm calculating look he had given her on the island.

“Good morning, Master Luke.”

“Good morning,” he responded, his voice surprisingly soft. “May I sit?” He gestured to the spot Kaydel once occupied.

“Of course.”

He lowered himself down with ease and looked out into the forest, mirroring Shyon’s stance and posture. “Rey speaks very highly of you.”

“She’s too kind. I barely know her.”

“I’d like to think she’s a good judge of character.”

Shyon looked at the Jedi Master out of the corner of her eye. “When will her training begin? I know she’s anxious. She wouldn’t stop talking about it all the way to you.”

Luke just hummed, leaning against the tree. He seemed perfectly at ease as discomfort continued to eat at Shyon’s subconscious. “Is there a reason you’ve tracked me down?”

“I can feel the power within you, Shyon. And I know you want to train and refine your ability to wield the Force. Why are you so adverse to my presence here?”

Shyon deflated, wishing the tree would open up and swallow her. “I’m scared.”

“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

She sighed. “I’m acutely aware of this fact, believe me.”

“You fear the Dark Side of the Force, witnessed what it is capable of.” Luke nodded. “You have felt the power if gives you as well.”

“I have,” Shyon admitted. “I’m afraid that if I learn how to properly use the Force, it will be easier for me to fall to the Dark. I’m torn. I have someone I want to fight for and protect but I’m not entirely sure I want the responsibility.”

Luke hummed with understanding. He was quiet for a few moments before answering. “I believe there is darkness in every heart. True character and courage comes from what you do when confronted with the darkness. You can fight against it or succumb to it.”

“Do you usually speak in the vaguest way possible or have you reserved it just for me?” Shyon leaned her head to the side to look at Luke who seemed to be chuckling behind his bushy grey beard.

“This will be fun.” He stood and looked down at her.

“What?”

“Come with me and Rey. Train. Embrace what the Force has given you.” He held out a hand to her. He even wiggled his fingers a bit when she didn’t take it automatically.

“You might regret this,” Shyon said as she firmly grasped his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

“We will see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think!  
> And I've decided to just go ahead and write the spin-off about Poe. I'm almost done with the first chapter but I won't post it until this story is finished--which will be in a handful of parts.   
> Thank you for reading! <3


	8. Ahch-To

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter this week.

D’Qar was nearly cleared of all the Resistance technology and equipment within a month. It had been slowly moved to a planet in the Inner Rim, named Taanab. Someone had sent word that the survivors of the destruction of the New Republic were setting up a secret base on Naboo in the city of Harte Secur. The systems aligned with the New Republic had also pledged an increase of support to the Resistance, sending over more pilots, supplies, and troops under the guise of planetary exploration. The First Order was still lurking in the shadows but it seemed to have retreated for a period of time. It seemed everything was looking up for the Resistance, at least for the moment.

Shyon and Rey were practically glued to each other, following Luke around like a pair of lost puppies. They helped with the resettlement of the base and upcoming battle strategies (that was mostly Luke and Rey) but were soon shooed away by Leia who seemed overtly eager to have them start their training on Ahch-To.

Luke was a near-brutal task master. Shyon was sure she had never sweat so much and she had gone lived on desert planets. Her palms bled regularly from climbing and holding. 

And everything was instructed through the “calming” voice of the Jedi Master. Progress was slow while it seemed they were trying to learn everything at once. Rey, of course, excelled at everything Luke demanded of her. Shyon, on the other hand, was perfectly fine with being second best and knew her inability to master everything quickly like Rey was starting to grate on the Jedi Master’s last nerve. The only joy Shyon found in her training, besides Rey’s near-constant optimism and support, was that the dreams of Ben had stopped. There was no inkling of his intentions or whereabouts. It was a strange sort of calm while she continued to disappoint Luke.

One night, after a particularly subpar performance with a padawan saber and mask, Luke dismissed Rey to prepare dinner and then turned to Shyon who was fiddling with the small lightsaber. She braced herself for another strong-winded scolding like a child.

“Shyon, it has been almost a month since you’ve come to me to train. Do you not take this seriously at all?” He asked.

“Of course I do,” she shot back.

“Then put some effort into it. It’s like you don’t even want to be here.”

“I’m trying!”

“Try harder!”

“Why? Give me a reason!”

Luke took a step back as if affronted. “Do you or do you not want to battle against the darkness in your heart?”

“Of course I do-”

“Then put your heart into this. One cannot become a Jedi by pretending to care. You must care, feel, believe that what you are doing is important—not only for you, but for the Galaxy!”

Shyon narrowed her eyes. “You know Rey’s the savior you’re looking for, not me. Focus on her; I don’t even know why you attempted to train me.”

Wind blew through the small training grounds, carrying with it the scent of salted water and wet grass. The sun was starting to set, putting a chill through the air. Shyon wrapped her arms around herself to stem off the cold, unused to the strange Jedi garb Luke insisted she and Rey wear. Where he had found it was anyone’s guess.

“Training to become a Jedi will help you find the peace you are looking for. It can help you keep the darkness at bay.” Luke stepped close and put both his hands on her shoulders. The metal of his cybernetic was heavy and cold. “Shyon, you cannot go through life without guidance, without purpose. Both of these things require effort and resilience. Don’t limit yourself based on your fears.” He sighed. “I can feel the war inside of you. Rey can too.”

“Between the Light and Dark, I know, I know.” Shyon had heard it a thousand times, and had probably said it a hundred more.

“But the fact that you know there is a war should give you hope. To ignore one part of you will only give it strength to overpower you.” Luke paused. “I won’t let you down like I did with Ben.”

It had been almost four weeks since she’d been able to have a second to think of Ben. For that, she had been grateful. “Did he have the same war?”

“He did. But I pushed him too far, told him to suppress it, thinking that with enough training that the Darkness would disappear completely. But it overpowered him.” Luke stepped back and shook his head.

Rey appeared, another bright smile on her face. “Supper’s ready.”

As usual, Luke took his dinner alone then meditated, leaving Rey and Shyon alone to talk about how they thought training was going. Shyon usually let Rey do all the talking. It was a nice distraction to see Rey’s face light up with pure joy. After dinner, Shyon and Rey washed up as Luke prepared their next lesson. Rey nudged her shoulder before producing a small sweet, barely the size of her palm. “Happy birthday,” she whispered.

How Rey had found out was a mystery but Shyon was no less grateful. “Thank you,” she whispered back, wrapping Rey in a hug. “We must split it.” Shyon hurriedly did so and they both sighed with contentment as the sweet morsel touched their tongues. “Where did you get this?” The meager kitchen and barracks were nothing to brag about in the slightest and all the food they ate was either captured on the island or delivered by Chewie once every few weeks.

“Chewie gave a couple to me, snuck them into last week’s shipment. I managed to save one for you before Master Luke got to them.”

Shyon smiled at this. It was a running joke with them that Luke had a sweet tooth. It seemed so out of character. “Thank you,” Shyon repeated.

“Rey! Shyon!” Luke called from upstairs.

“Time to go,” Rey laughed, bounding up the stairs in the small kitchen and out of sight. Shyon slowly followed. Tonight they were supposed to be working on using the Force to know when to move—it was basically the same exercise as the lightsaber, mask, and mini blaster but with Luke throwing things at Rey and Shyon when he thought they were distracted. It was Shyon’s least favorite exercise. As soon as she hit the training ground, Shyon narrowly missed being pegged in the eye with a sharp rock.

And so it began.

But there was something different in the air tonight. It wasn’t as stressful as it usually was. Shyon felt herself laughing, dodging a random assortment of stones, sticks, and broken training gear. She tumbled over the stone landing and bumped into Rey with a laugh as Luke continued to throw the debris, all with a smile on her face. There were no comments from Luke to “pay attention” or “feel the Force” tonight. It was almost as if it was a game.

Shyon felt her movements become more fluid. It was easier to know when to duck or dodge before the item even got close to her. She felt near graceful as Luke called it a night. Shyon waved Rey off from helping as she started to clean up the training space. Usually Rey would train Shyon in basic hand-to-hand combat or combat with a quarterstaff. 

Tonight, however, Shyon wasn’t up to it. The exercise had been enjoyable but exhausting, more so than usual. 

“Go shower. I’ll take care of this. Just save me some hot water tonight, yeah?” 

Rey just laughed and disappeared back into her small room in the temple. 

Shyon assumed Luke had retired for the night as he usually did after the last training run every night. As she tossed the last scrap of debris back into its small holding bin, she heard the soft steps of the Jedi Master.

“Master Luke?” She turned, questioning.

“Please, Shyon, sit with me.” He waved her over before sitting on the edge of one of the cliffs, his legs dangling over. 

Shyon did as she was told, feeling the happiness of the training ebb away to be replaced by a fear of another scolding. “Yes?”

“Did you enjoy this evening’s training?”

A smile pushed at Shyon’s lips. “I did.” 

Luke hummed with approval. “Good. I was hoping you would.” He sighed. “That’s what the Force is. It is joy and ease and peace. I am sorry that I seem like such a taskmaster but I worry. I know the trouble in your heart and I just wanted to alleviate it in the only way I could.”

It was quiet between them for a moment.

“You are not like Rey. She is made of Light.”

“I know.”

“But there is strength in knowing both sides of the Force, I think. And that is strength only few will know. I think you are one of the chosen few.”

“You’re being far too kind. I need much more training and I’m not entirely I’m sure strong. I think I’m just…volatile.” The word was spit out like a curse. She didn’t want to detract from Luke’s attempt at a lesson but she didn’t want to disappoint him. 

“You have power, true power, Shyon. It is different than what Shyon or I wield but it is still there. I will train you all I can with the knowledge I have and I can give you a few suggestions on how to approach …the other side of the Force.”

“Why are you trusting me with this?” Shyon asked. It seemed to have been a complete deviation from what he had said only a few hours ago. 

“I asked for guidance and I received it. In Lor San Tekka’s adventures, he came across a few tomes from the Old Republic—thousands of years old. There were beings, Force users, who were able to call upon the Dark side of the Force without giving into it. They were the Grays. They shunned those consumed by the Dark and stood by the Jedis’ side during the Great Wars. They were few in number but their power was immense.” Luke stood and then helped Shyon to her feet. “Come, I will show you.” 

Luke led her down to his own private chambers and pulled the holobooks he had been talking about off the stone shelves. They were heavy, worn with age, but strong. Well-preserved but largely covered in dust from disuse. The pair talked in hushed tones for a few moments before Luke convinced her to keep the books. 

“I still have much to teach you but I wanted you to see these. I hope they can provide a bit of peace in this chaotic time.”

**

Almost a full year had passed since Luke had given her the books about the Gray Jedis. He had been correct, as always. They did seem to give Shyon a bit of peace about her strange abilities and helped her through the rigorous training. Rey continued to excel and Shyon was still second best but she tried harder now, attempting to truly know what it meant to be a Jedi.

Thoughts of Ben still slunk into the crevices of her mind but Shyon knew it wasn’t the time or place to dwell on him. He would be all right, she told herself. Warmth still bloomed in her chest when she thought of him, and at other times when she was deep in her training or studies—perhaps he was thinking of her. It would be stupid to call it love, what she felt for Ben, but with every passing week Shyon imagined it could be. She had been telling the truth back on Starkiller Base, she could’ve loved him. And she might.

But now was not the time to be thinking of that. It was finally time to build their lightsabers. 

Chewie piloted them to the planet of Ilum in the Millennium Falcon. The planet was frozen, colder than Hoth, and both Shyon and Rey were bundled up in thick clothes to protect them from the blistering winds. They were to go into the Kyber Crystal Caves on the planet, in tradition with the Jedis that came before them, and find the crystal which called to them. From there, they would both assemble their lightsabers back in Ahch-To. Kyber Crystal were the core of every lightsaber and this mission was supposed to be a rite of passage. 

Both she and Rey were bundled in layers upon layers as they set off away from the warmth of the Millennium Falcon toward the sacred Crystal Caves. The Jedi Temple that once guarded the caves had been left in ruins, the Empire had destroyed it and once had a garrison of troopers guarding it but no longer.

The trek was cold and treacherous but thankfully short. As soon they reached the caves, the destruction left by the Empire seemed even more prominent. The once carefully sculpted halls and caverns were jagged and burnt, as if they had almost been obliterated.

“Remember,” Rey said, “we have until the sun sets.”

Shyon nodded and closed her eyes, trying to remember Luke’s instructions. They were to focus their attention on the Force and then be led to a kyber crystal that would be attuned to their own unique ability to wield the Force. Rey and Shyon soon separated—which was no surprise to Shyon. It was almost painfully obvious how different their paths were. Shyon even bet money with Chewie that Rey would have a blue lightsaber, much like Luke himself. The color of Shyon’s lightsaber, however, was still to be determined.

She trudged along, pulling her cloak closer to her face. The wind in the caves seemed to come from nowhere and chilled her to the bone. But she was being pulled forward by an unseen force, the tingling at the base of her skull intensifying with each step. Time didn’t seem to pass here. Everything seemed frozen in time, harking back to the old Jedi Order, tens of thousands of years ago. The caves and catacombs wound and turned unexpectedly, each room growing more crystalline. Everything sparkled. Shyon’s gloved fingers brushed against the pointed tips of a few crystals as they glittered when her own, small flashlight hit them.

She could’ve walked for hours, or just minutes—she wasn’t quite sure. But, instead of turning right toward the large open which glittered with millions of crystals, Shyon was pulled left toward a small crack in the cave wall. She knelt and leaned closer. In the small crevice there were just a handful of small, dull crystals poking out of the surrounding rock. The tingling at the base of Shyon’s intensified until it was near painful as she stretched out her arm and touched the crystal toward the middle of the cluster. Carefully, she pried it away from the wall. If the crystal cracked, the power wouldn’t be properly contained and there was a great chance she would have to create modifications to the handle, much as Ben had done, to keep it from exploding.

But soon the uncracked crystal was resting in her gloved hand and elation filled her heart. She was a step closer to understanding herself, her powers. She could feel it. She carefully placed the small crystal into a velvet pouch which she then tied onto her necklace. It was time to go back.

**

Meditating over the crystal to, as Luke stated, “imbue it with your sense of the Force” took several days. It was a peaceful experience, for the most part. Sometimes, late at night, the meditation would lead Shyon to see the goings-on in the Galaxy. She saw her father’s shop taken over by a First Order attendant. Their home had been ransacked. The New Republic was infighting but still building and supporting the Resistance more readily than they had before. The Resistance was mobilizing. The First Order was still lurking in the shadows, rebuilding and dominating where they could.

But Ben was nowhere to be seen. Even if she’d had the capability to focus on one person, she wasn’t able to find him at all.

It was as if he had disappeared completely.

He hadn’t died, Shyon was sure she would have felt it. But there was nothing there. Even the warmth had started to fade a few weeks ago. It was as if he had pulled away from her, or had been taken to a place where she couldn’t reach him.

Whatever the case, Shyon found Peace within the Force…and the whispered promise that Ben would find her.

A flashing of purple light caused Shyon to open her eyes, pulling her from her meditation. Hovering right in front of her face was a small, now-purple crystal. It seemed to pulse with stronger strobes of light in time with her heartbeat.

“Congratulations, Shyon,” Luke said quietly. She turned to see him leaning into her lodging, a small smile on his face. “The purple suits you. I suspected you would wield a saber in that color.” Luke walked in and knelt next to her, lightly touching the crystal as it continued to float in front of Shyon. “The color is rare but powerful.” He sighed. “It is supposed to signify that the possessor of the blade knew the Dark Side and could wield it but did not succumb to it. Just as I have told you before, you can be both.” Luke squeezed her shoulder with a small smile. “The Force is strong with you, Shyon. Trust in it.”

Luke eventually left and Shyon once again meditating, using the Force to construct her own lightsaber. It would be a simple design. She had never been very good at designing or building anything anyway. The schematics Luke had found and rendered were a good guideline but Shyon didn’t want anything intricate. The only complicated aspect of it was the slight bend in the hilt, a design aspect she had found in the Old Republic files.

When it was finally assembled, Shyon finally noticed the twinges of pain in her knees from not moving for days. She wobbled to her feet, clutching her weapon to her chest. Elation coursed through her as she left her fingers run over the dull metal of the hilt. She’d have to cover most of it with leather for a more stable grip but for now, it was simply beautiful to look at. She had never made something so beautiful before. Usually her creations were just junk but this was finally beautiful, useful.

When Shyon went in search of leather for the hilt, she saw Rey wielding her own new lightsaber. Chewie now owed her money—the blade was blue. There was a large smile on Rey’s smile as she spun the blade around, getting accustomed to the new weapon in her hand. Rey spotted Shyon and her smile grew.

“Let me see yours!” Rey nearly skipped to Shyon’s side after deactivating her weapon. Shyon showed her and Rey let her fingers dance across the cool metal. “The Old Republic hilt?” She grasped the weapon and activated it, letting the amethyst blade shoot out. “I’ve only read about the purple blades. Master Luke must be so proud.”

Shyon chuckled and looped the lightsaber onto her belt. “He’s a hard one to read. I don’t know if proud is what I would call him.”

The two women discussed the differences in their blades for a moment before being called up to the training grounds. It was time to practice.

**

Her birthday came and passed again with just another sweet as a present. It was even better this year. Being 26 was strange. Shyon felt much older now, near ancient for some strange reason. Perhaps it was the training or the isolation she felt from the rest of the galaxy.

But it didn’t matter. It was peaceful. There had been peace in the loneliness. Again, she understood why Luke had escaped to the island and temple all those years ago.

She and Rey had grown closer. Rey had often indulged in small correspondences with a former Stormtrooper named Finn who had definitely burrowed his way into Rey’s heart, not that she would admit it out loud. Rey asked Shyon’s opinion on their relationship and offered advice but conceded she wasn’t the best person to give advice. Rey wasn’t completely aware of the situation with Ben and Shyon didn’t feel Rey would be all that sympathetic to Shyon’s situation. So, she kept silent. 

Luke seemed pleased, finally, with Shyon. She was still largely second best in every way to Rey but Shyon was surprisingly adept when it came to actual lightsaber combat. While Rey was completely at ease with holding a weapon and fighting, Shyon had no background. But still, it seemed she had been made to wield a lightsaber. She held her own against Rey and even won several practice bouts against the brunette.

“Rey! Shyon!” Luke hollered from the training ground, pulling them both from their nearly-finished breakfast. They both rushed up the stairs.

Luke was waiting for them and the Millennium Falcon was in the distance, preparing to land.

Something was wrong.

“We’ve been discovered. We must leave.”

All of them rushed to gather their meager belongings before running to the Millennium Falcon. Chewie roared a distracted hello before gunning it back toward open space.

“Where are we going?” Shyon asked.

“I don’t-” Luke’s response was cut off as the Falcon shook under the impact of a blast. Sirens sounded, filling the cabin with shrieks and flashing lights. “They’ve found us.” He started to herd Rey and Shyon toward the back of the ship. All of them nearly fell as another blast hit the ship before they managed to engage hyperdrive. “You have to trust me,” Luke said, blue eyes determined as he stared at both Rey and Shyon.

Shyon looked at Rey who nodded quickly and she slowly followed suit.

Luke shuffled them toward the escape pods and Shyon froze. “You are not sending us out in escape pods at hyperdrive. We won’t survive-”

“You’ll survive. I know this.” Luke grabbed both Rey and Shyon’s shoulders and squeezed. “You must trust me. I will find you.”

Before she could argue, Shyon was sealed into an escape pod and promptly ejected out of the Falcon. For a moment Shyon thought she saw the escape pod begin to disintegrate. 

Her fears only slightly subsided when she realized it was simply a piece of a makeshift cloaking device attached to the pod. Shyon quickly grabbed the pod’s controls and attempted to slow it down. Escape pods were only equipped with bare essentials in terms of technology so it took Shyon several attempts at steering and braking in order for it to slow down so she wouldn’t crash into the nearest planet at lightspeed. As Shyon glanced out the front window, her heart sunk.

“Shit.”

She was hurtling toward Tatooine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And Ben/Kylo will return soon! And Smut is coming up.  
> Just...yup.  
> Please tell me what you think! Thanks for reading!


	9. Tatooine

Tatooine, just like Jakku, was a wasteland. The landing, for the most part, went smoothly—except for when she slammed into a rock before stopping. When Shyon pulled herself out of the now-smoking escape pod, all she could see, from horizon to horizon, was sand and rocky formations. There was a solitary moisture vaporator in her sight. Taking a deep breath, Shyon tied a scarf around her head to protect from the sun and sand. She grabbed her small bag and the supplies the escape pod was laden with and set out toward the moisture farm.

It took almost an hour to get to it after stumbling over the rocky terrain but finally, Shyon had the moisture farm in front of her. It looked abandoned but a quick at the vaporator proved it could still be functional and the old speeder parked on the side looked like it would still run. She knocked at the door, just to be sure, but let herself in when no one answered after a few moments.

A thin layer of sand had settled into everything inside. It truly was abandoned. But it was shaded and cool and had a bed and water. It might as well be paradise. She wandered about and managed to find a set of stairs hidden behind a well-worn carpet which led down to a sheltered cave. Well, it looked like a cave. Shyon slid her hands across the rough cave wall, searching for anything that might be able to shed some light into the cave. Her fingers hit something metallic and she pressed her palm against it. Light flickered to life in the cave, revealing a small wooden table and a few tools. Like the knick-knacks upstairs, it seems like sand had crept in and settled over everything. Shyon took a breath and pushed it out, uncovering a few mechanical springs and wiring on the table too. There was a near antiquated tablet on the surface and she tapped at it but it, of course, was dead. She picked it up, watching the sand slide off it before walking back upstairs. There was a small charging station in the corner and she set it down before starting to rummage through the pack of supplies. There was food, water, a medic kit, a short range blaster, and a comm unit.

She plugged in the coordinates for Taanab, ready to call for help but decided against it. There was no way of knowing if she would be overheard by the First Order. She wouldn’t put the Resistance at risk.

She would wait.

Luke had said he would find her and she had to trust that.

Shyon bundled her small ration of food and crept back down to the cave. It was cooler down here and would keep the food chilled, at least a bit more than upstairs. There was a little cubby carved into the side of the cave and Shyon slid the pack there before dusting off her hands. She looked around at the cave again, a familiar tingle starting to bloom at the base of her skull. The floor, while compromised of sand and rock, seemed to slope under the table. Shyon bent and pressed her hand into the sand, and was almost instantly met with something cold. She dug a bit more and eventually uncovered a large metal case, complete with a lock. For a moment she struggled before hefting the case out from under the table. The lock didn’t break even when she tugged on it so she retrieved her lightsaber and made quick work of it. The hinges creaked with disuse but soon revealed small scrolls, nearly cracked holobooks, and holomaps. She carefully pulled everything out but stopped when she caught sight of a latch on the right side of the interior. Shyon gently pulled it and out popped a small data drive. A shock shot up Shyon’s arm as her fingers wrapped around it, nearly causing her to drop the rest of her treasure trove.

Carefully, she brought everything upstairs and laid it out on the small rug. Almost every bit of the technology she had in front of her had the initials “OWK” inscribed onto it in some way. Others had another inscription, a simple “S” in a hasty scrawl.

A thankfully-still-intact holovid projector had been hidden in the corner of the room and Shyon was able to determine what the holomaps held. Most of it was of Coruscant. Some others were of Hoth, and another of Yavin 4.

Shyon smiled despite the situation as she watched the planets circle her at a slow, steady pace.

There was something very calming about the abandoned moisture farm. It was as if it had been imbued with something peaceful. She let the projector run in the background as she unwrapped the scrolls, careful to not let the dried parchment catch and possibly tear or crumble. Inside almost every scroll was a lightsaber combat technique. They detailed moves, stances—everything. The newest of the combat scrolls had been penned by someone named Windu and took the name “Form VII” or “the Ferocity Form”—Shyon wasn’t sure which one was the correct term. But from the scrawling diagrams and outlines, it seemed to be a technique based in viciousness and catching the opponent off guard.

Shyon smiled to herself as she remembered her old techniques of fighting. She had never been one for subtlety. Perhaps this would work for her. But then she caught sight of a small note at the bottom of the scroll, in the same hasty handwriting as the “s” on the inscriptions.

**_Dangerous: wielder must channel darkness_ **

The smile Shyon had been holding turned sour for a moment. “The dark holds power,” she murmured to herself. Her finger tapped a light rhythm against the scroll before she carefully rewrapped it.

Yes, she would teach herself that.

She glanced at the books she had yet to try to open just as her stomach started to grumble and her crash-induced headache was beginning to fully bloom.

The rations provided in the emergency pack weren’t exactly pleasing but Shyon suffered through it so she could swallow the pain killers. When her headache finally subsided and the doors were securely locked, she drew her lightsaber and tucked the combat scroll under her arm and walked back down to the cave. She pushed the able out of the way and slowly pushed her way through the motions indicated on the scroll. Her body twisted and moved in measured but rough movements. There was power in this form. The form required constant use of the force and it wasn’t a beautiful form as the other combat styles had prided themselves. But it was commanding and strangely intoxicating.

That is how she passed most of the time on Tatooine. It must have been weeks since the crash and all she could do was practice. Her food rations had run out so she had been forced to walk to the nearest village and trade water for food before she hurried back to practice. The other books she had discovered were nearly forgotten. She always spared them a glance as she dragged her tired body to the bed late at night, promising herself that she would read them in the morning, but all she could make herself do was practice.

Practice.

Practice.

With each passing day, she felt more and more powerful. She reveled in the possibility of one day using this technique, perfecting it out in the world. Shyon knew that enjoying the battle was against the code but this combat style called for it—another reason, perhaps, that “S” had said this form was dangerous. But if Shyon was going to protect herself, fight “the good fight” as Rey was so fond of calling it, she should be comfortable enough in her own power to decide how to fight—right?

She became faster with every passing day, finally realizing the true power of the form even as her muscles screamed at her to stop. The notes scratched into the scroll said that, when perfected, made the user look like they wielded several lightsabers at once. It was quick, rough, and powerful; all things Shyon strived to be. It also required that the wielder feed of the aggression of their opponent, force-fueling their own anger to keep the attacks quick and forceful.

When the practice became too much, or when she was finally sitting and eating, Shyon opened the books she had brought from Luke. The Dark Side indeed have strange powers—and Shyon found herself loathing to admit it but she wondered if she would ever be powerful enough to tap into her emotions, at will, to create something so forceful, so terrifying, that she would be able to sway the outcome of a battle. Most of her ability to use the force, prior to Luke’s training, had been on a random occurrence when her emotions had spilled over without her control. She wanted control, over the light and the dark. (And if she was being completely honest, the power known as the Force Crush looked absolutely amazing.)

As Shyon dragged herself to bed on the eve of her fourth month on Tatooine, she was startled to see an older gentleman waiting for her in the bedroom. He had white hair, blue eyes, and seemed to be carrying a white-blue glow about him. It took Shyon half a moment she could see right through him.

Master Luke had briefly mentioned Force Ghosts in their training but it didn’t keep Shyon’s pulse from skyrocketing.

“Ah, Shyon,” the man said with a kind smile.

“Who’re you?” She asked, trying to keep her voice level. Honestly, interacting with a ghost was not what she had anticipated when she decided to go to bed.

The ghost’s smile just widened. “You are in my home. I am Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Heat instantly took over her cheeks. OWK. Of course. “Master Kenobi,” she dipped her head in a small bow. “I apologize for intruding on your home. I just…crashed here and-”

Kenobi just chuckled and shook his head. “That is no matter, Shyon. Luke stayed here as well, after the Fall of the Empire. He used this place as you have, as a place of training and learning.” He sighed. “Your progress has been great, Shyon. You grow more powerful every day.”

“Thank you.”

“But you must know that power does not always lead to happiness or victory.”

Shyon frowned, wondering where the old Jedi Master was planning on taking this conversation.

“There are great things in your future, Shyon. I know you have been told of the Gray Jedi and that is what you strive for. But know this, Shyon, you will be tested. Your Light will be tried. But you must never succumb. Shyon, if you do, you will be lost. Redemption from the Dark is hard won. Your Light is bright and beautiful; you must not lose it.” Obi-Wan stepped closer, his steps noiseless. “It shines so bright because of your darkness. The balance you seek is difficult but not impossible. I have seen many a Jedi wield the Dark just as you have. Know you are not alone.”

Tranquility washed over her, starting as a steady stream only to become a tidal wave. His simple, non-corporeal presence was full of peace and harmony. “Thank you,” she whispered.

The old Jedi Master simply smiled and disappeared from view.

**

When Shyon woke the next morning, she pulled the books to her as she ate a small breakfast. Today, she was going to find out what Obi-Wan had hidden in the books.

The first was a chronicle of the final days of the Republic, what Obi-Wan had seen and been forced to do to survive Order 66 and its effects. The next was about his time here on Tatooine. It was, as she suspected, a lonely existence. He kept watch over the young Luke and saved him without reward many times and without Luke ever knowing. He reflected on his time with the woman he had loved and wondered, if things had been different, he could finally be with her, away from the Jedi and the Code.

_“But these are just the ramblings of a lonely man…"_

The third and final book was, surprisingly, from Luke himself. He had chronicled his time at Obi-Wan’s house on Tatooine. He had wrestled with himself on changing the Code to allow “attachments” and how he had felt very alone in his power. He had sought to protect the galaxy from the darkness by setting up the new Jedi school and order. There was excitement about his first student, a young woman named Mara. While it seemed Luke struggled with his attraction to her, Mara was very upfront about it. It was almost humorous to see Luke grapple with his feelings to the younger woman. The entries stopped before Shyon knew what happened.

Sighing to herself and watching the suns go down, Shyon supposed she could put in a few hours of combat practice. But then she caught sight of the small data unit which had been hidden in the trunk. She pushed it into the projector and felt her eyes bulge at the sight.

It was of Master Luke, a woman with wavy, brown hair and hazel eyes. (Well, that obviously solved the mystery of who the “S” was.) They were smiling down at a small baby in their arms. The baby’s arms were up as if reaching for something and her big, hazel eyes were open and it seemed like she was laughing. The picture suddenly burst to life and the little baby giggled and grabbed at her mother’s loose hair.

“Don’t pull mummy’s hair, little one,” The woman, who Shyon assumed to be Mara, cooed. She wrapped her fingers around the baby’s own and let her tug.

“She’s perfect,” Luke said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Yes, she is,” Mara laughed, hoisting the baby higher to press a kiss to her brow. “Just like her father.”

Luke kissed Mara’s cheek with a smile. “Our little Padme is perfect.”

“Little Padme Rey…”

The hologram stuttered then shut off just as Luke lifted the baby against him with another happy smile.

Silence reigned in the small home as Shyon just stared at the wall where the projection had once played.

“Padme Rey…”

Brown hair. Hazel eyes. Calling Skywalker’s lightsaber.

“She’s a Skywalker,” Shyon said, breathlessly, to the empty air. Why hadn’t Luke said anything? Why had he abandoned Rey on Jakku?

Shyon pressed her palms to her temples to keep the room from spinning from the revelation.

Could he actually be that cruel?

The holovid sparked to life again and a significantly older Luke appeared, he was looking off-screen and stood off center. It didn’t appear like he knew he was being recorded. “I feel the Darkness gaining power. It grows inside Ben like a virus.”

“Don’t say that,” a familiar voice said. It was Leia. She sounded tired, stressed. Shyon imagined her rubbing her forehead with a sigh.

“I can feel it, Leia. I know you can too. You have to help me. I have to hide all of them that I can, before something terrible happens.”

“And what then? What happens after you hide them?”

“I will find them, when the time is right.”

Again, the projection stuttered and shut off before the holovid completely shut off, overheated.

Shyon carefully extracted the data unit from the machine and hid it away in the cave, wrapping it in a small bit of tattered cloth and burying it again. No one could know that more Jedis were out there, waiting to be called upon.

Ben must have sensed it during the massacre. He must have known that people were missing from the school but why had the First Order believed that Luke was the last Jedi?

Then it dawned on her. Ben had lied, hidden the truth from Snoke.

A smile started to tug at Shyon’s face until her cheeks hurt. There was goodness in him, true goodness and Light.

Despite the exhaustion pulling at every facet of her being, Shyon hurried around the small home and gathered everything she could and packed it into her tight pack. She pulled on one of the many dark cloaks she had found in the bedroom and once again wrapped a scarf around her face and hair. She had done this every time she had gone out to barter for food. It kept her identity a secret and kept others from approaching her. It also concealed her lightsaber.

She needed to leave. She pulled the pack up onto her shoulders and set out after sending out a silent goodbye to the place.

Shyon had passed the old Lars Moisture Farm every time she’d had to go into town for food. She hadn’t stopped until tonight, feeling something pulling her there. The three moons had risen and provided a small bit of light against the sandy landscape as Shyon parked the old speeder at the abandoned moisture farm. A small plaque stood in front of it, hailing Luke Skywalker as a hero and denoting his childhood home. She snuck past it and down into main house, the strange pull getting stronger with each moment.

Everything was covered in dust and sand. Dried, deteriorating flowers were left here and there, probably from admirers. She walked through the house, seeing the forgotten remnants of a former life. She turned, entering what looked like a workshop.

“Shyon,” a voice called out in the dark.

Shyon nearly tripped over her feet trying to spin and find the voice. She’d heard it before, aboard the Star Destroyer in Ben’s private quarters.

“Shyon!” The voice rang out again.

She turned again and saw a blond man with blue eyes and a scar across his right eye. He looked like Luke. “Uh-”

“I’m Anakin Skywalker.”

Shyon’s eyes bulged for a moment before she took a deep breath. Really, these ghosts could stop appearing any time now. “I’m going to assume you know who I am.”

He chuckled. “Yes, of course. I’ve been watching you for a while now. Making sure you were who I had hoped you were—and I was right.” He sighed. “You are the Gray. Ben…my grandson hopes to finish what I started.”

“And what would that be, exactly?” Shyon asked.

“The Force needs balance. Right now, the darkness threatens to overtake the galaxy, just as it did the Empire. Ben is hoping to put everything back into balance.”

Shyon’s heart thundered in her chest. The warmth blossomed. Her heart, her soul had been right--she belonged with Ben. The Force knew what it was doing.

“Rey will be his partner but you will be his anchor. You must hold fast to your light even when you must wield the dark. You are his hope, Shyon.”

Shyon smiled, despite the underlying threat of darkness in Anakin’s words. “I will try. Obi-Wan said the same thing.”

Anakin gave a rueful smile. “He does always seem to beat me to the punch.” He sighed. “The future is dark, Shyon. Do not fall as I had. Love can save him but it can destroy you.” 

With that, Anakin’s ghost disappeared.

**

Finding someone to transport her from Tatooine to Naboo was almost comically easy after Shyon offered up her junky speeder as payment. The smuggler was a self-described “connoisseur of antiques” and had wanted a speeder of that make and model for some time. And it was all he had talked about on the way to Naboo. He dropped her off at Harte Secur with little fanfare and a grumble about how it was easier to land in Theed and how she was lucky he wanted the speeder so bad.

Harte Secur, while smaller and less glamorous than Theed, was still a major city on Naboo. It was a military hub on the planet and a major trading post as well. A few citizens murmured behind their hands when they spotted Shyon’s Jedi garb but didn’t approach her.

Everyone seemed to give her a wide berth—all except for one.

“Are you looking for them?” A man asked as he sidled up next to her, pretending to look over the fruit she was perusing to kill time.

“I need to speak to them,” Shyon said, not making eye contact.

“Follow me.” He abruptly turned and Shyon stayed a few steps back, trying not to look like she was matching his footsteps. He wound through the busy streets, passed on of the many hangars, and finally led her to what looked like a dilapidated building behind a row of prefab shelters. They went down a block of crumbling stairs and into what might have been an underground bomb shelter at one point. Now it was a bustling base for the New Republic. Delegates from around the galaxy were seated in the large space. There had to be hundreds of them. Sure, the Republic, before the Empire, was made up of thousands of systems but this was still promising.

“Senators, Representatives, I have found an ally,” the man announced, lightly pulling Shyon forward.

The crowd toward the back craned their necks to get a better view of her.

“Members of the senate, my name is Shyon Jerriko. I stand before you a one-time member of the Resistance.”

The murmurs that preceded Shyon grew louder.

“I come to ask for information.”

“Are you a Jedi?” One asked.

“Don’t be stupid! They were wiped out.”

“I am a Jedi,” Shyon said, squaring her shoulders. “Our numbers are few but we are growing. I am in desperate need of anything you can tell me about-”

“Where have you been?” Another asked, cutting off her question.

“Training. With Master Luke Skywalker.”

Another round of murmurs shot around the room.

“Please, have there been any reports of escape pods landing on any of your planets? I am in search of my fellow Jedi. Or does anyone have any information, verified or not, on the whereabouts of Skywalker?” If she could just find out…

A senator, presumably from Naboo by the way she was dressed, stood. “Jedi Jerriko, there have been numerous reports of escape pods landing for the past six months. The First Order has been targeting our ships at random. I am sorry, but no one has come forward, at least in my system, who has claimed to be a Jedi as you have. Reports of Skywalker have been few and far between. Mostly rumors.”

“Of what?”

“He was…spotted on Naboo, then Coruscant, then Taris—different planets and systems almost every week. Everyone believes it to be a hoax.”

Shyon attempted to not show her excitement and relief shine through. The Jedi were coming, amassing their numbers. “And the Resistance? How do they fare?”

“General Organa has been led to believe she has found the First Order’s main base. The information is guarded but we believe she is planning an attack before they can garner even more strength. There has been intelligence stating that Snoke himself was there.”

A smile broke across Shyon’s face and she bowed her head. “I thank the Senate for their time.” She started to walk away but was stopped as a loud, pulsing siren rang out. Her hand instantly curled around her lightsaber, ready to fight. “What is it?”

The man from before ran in, a tablet in his hands. “The First Order is mobilizing. The Alsakan System is under attack.”

“Mobilize the fleets! We must help!” A man bellowed, standing from his seat. He must be the Senator from Alsakan, the black facial tattoos almost gave it away.

The senators and representatives all stood and rushed out of the meeting room, presumably to call their own governments and send the fleets and fighters into action.

“What of the Resistance?” Shyon asked, grabbing the man by the arm.

“Come with me.” He took her by the hand and led out back out into the sunlight. It seemed as if the entire city had erupted. Starships were taking off at quick succession and those in military garb and armor were being lined up to board a shuttle. “They will take you to Alsakan. The Resistance is rallying, they’ve sworn to protect the Republic and the Alsakan system is one of our strongholds. I’ll send word that you’re on your way.” He shoved her toward the fighters with no grace before running off, disappearing into the fray.  
Shyon received a few strange looks when she boarded the shuttle but most left her alone when they spotted her lightsaber still clipped to her belt.

As the door to the shuttle closed and each passenger was buckled, a voice rang out over the intercom. “The First Order has landed Alsakan and have moved toward the capital of Xenvaer.” The shuttle hit hyperdrive as the announcement continued, “The Resistance has landed. There are reports that the Resistance is being aided by a group of Jedi.”

Eyes immediately shot to Shyon who had to hide a smile.

The Jedi were revealed, rising.

**

The city-planet of Alsakan had been embroiled in the battle by the time Shyon’s shuttle landed. New Republic and Resistance starships were shooting down TIE Fighters and other First Order starships carrying more troopers. Blasters were firing. Buildings were burning, exploding.

The planet had descended into chaos.

The fighters in front of Shyon ran out, blasters firing as Shyon ignited her lightsaber. The purple blade shined through the dark night on the planet.

Almost instantly, she had to deflect two blaster shots which had been aimed at her head.

“Kill the Jedi!” Someone bellowed.

New Republic fighters must have heard it because Shyon found herself quickly surrounded by them, guarding her. While she appreciated the gesture, she shoved her way forward. 

She needed to fight. They flanked her sides, covering her from unseen opponents.

Shyon pushed forward, leading the small squadron farther into the city and toward the First Order Command Shuttle she saw perched atop the royal palace. “Get to the command shuttle. If we destroy it, we cut off all communication with the First Order.”

The fighter beside her nodded and led a charge. Once again, Shyon found herself surrounded by fighters who were sprinting toward the Palace. Swarms of First Order Stormtroopers seemed to be pouring out of every alley and street even as Resistance and New Republic troops continued to land. Again, Shyon pushed out of the protective circle, ready to fight. Troopers ran at her, blasters firing and Shyon felt the Force run through her, just as it did during her solitary practice.

In vicious, quick movements, she deflected the shots and ran at the first one. She cut him down before moving to the next and then the next, sending their shots off toward another group of Troopers with an almost practiced ease. “Get to the Shuttle!” She yelled to the fighters. They ran off without being told twice.

There was joy in the fight. It grew stronger and stronger with each rough movement of her lightsaber and she found herself smiling when more troopers ran at her.

Dodging another round of blaster shots, Shyon spun and rammed her lightsaber into his helmet and listened to his armor sparker and sizzle under the heat of the blade. She yanked it out with a flourish and quickly cut down another trooper who was attempting to sneak up behind her. Shyon pulled her lightsaber closer, readying herself for the next attack as she charged toward the palace. She hadn’t spotted another other Jedi—or lightsabers, to be more accurate—in the fighting but had felt them. There had been a gentle tugging at her subconscious as soon as she had landed on the planet. It felt familiar and kind, as if she were surrounded by old friends. It had only added to her fight, pushing her harder, to move faster, to be stronger. With every cut of her saber, Shyon felt it grow.

Up the palace steps she ran, pushing troopers out of her way with the Force and over the balconies. Some screamed while others tried to push off one last shot before cracking against the ground.

But then Shyon saw troopers cornering a woman and child in one of the halls of the palace. “Tell us where they are!” The trooper yelled, shoving the end of his blaster into the woman’s face. Shyon felt the rage start to grow.

The woman continued shoving the child behind her. “Let me go!”

Shyon ran up to the first trooper and ran him through before turning to the next and then the next and another. “Run!” She yelled over her shoulder as she saw more troopers running down the hall toward them, blasters firing. Shyon raised her lightsaber as the mother and child sprinted out of the palace and into the night air.

There were too many. She glanced back to see all the Republic and Resistance fighters engaged outside the palace, in no way able to help her.

Fear started to niggle its way into the forefront of Shyon’s mind. She pushed as many as she could, sending them flying into the marble walls of the palace but still more came and the plasma bullets continued to rain. Shyon raised her hands, her lightsaber still ignited. She didn’t feel the bullets hit her chest as the Force filled her. Her anger and fear had become too strong to ignore. She just wanted them gone. Wanted to see everyone safe. Wanted…Ben.

Shyon shut her eyes and felt it rush through her like a raging typhoon. The Palace rumbled under the force of it and it robbed the air from her lungs. The air filled with the sound of crunching metal, clinging blasters, pained screams, and then a beautiful silence.

She opened her eyes to see the bloody mess in front of her. The Troopers, all of them, had been crushed. The bodies were mangled, twisted, and crumpled. They were all lifeless at her feet. Despite herself, she smiled knowing she had felt the darkness and used it to perform the Crush but hadn’t felt any other pull.

Her legs suddenly gave out and Shyon became acutely aware of the multiple blaster wounds she was now bleeding from as her cheek smacked into the floor beneath her. The once-gray robes she sported were now a vibrant crimson color. The room started to go hazy as Shyon gripped her lightsaber tighter. She wouldn’t go down without her weapon in her hand.

Shyon managed to push herself up for a moment and press a hand to one of the wounds as she heard footsteps approaching. Her lightsaber hummed with life as she tried to pull in another gulp of air. It felt like her lungs were growing smaller and smaller. She couldn’t draw in enough air.

Maybe she should’ve stayed on Tatooine…

“Shyon?” A voice asked. It sounded fuzzy and far away.

Her eyes were losing focus. Only blurry shapes and large black dots were visible now.

“Shyon?”

She felt a cool leather glove press against her hot cheek and it felt like there was an explosion of warmth in her chest.

“Ben…”

And the world went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think. I adore comments and kudos. You are all the best!
> 
> There's only about two more chapters left and I'm planning on writing a Poe spin-off. There would a Stormtrooper Female OC/Reader--I just want to know if anyone would be interested.
> 
> ALSO! I'm working on two other series. One is a FixIt! Universe for Kylo and another is a FixIt! Universe for the prequel trio with an Obi-Wan/OC relationship. What do you guys think? 
> 
> Thanks!


	10. Tanaab

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut ahead.

Shyon woke to a cold rag being pressed against her face. She sucked in a shocked, deep breath and quickly sat up as pain shot through her, pulsing in time with her racing heart.

“Calm down,” the medical droid said, pushing Shyon back down into the pillows. “You’ll open your wounds if you move too much.”

“Where am I?”

“Tanaab, under the protection of the Resistance,” the droid answered before shoving a syringe into Shyon’s arm.

Shyon yelped at the contact but soon relaxed as what she assumed was a sedative or pain killer started to course through her. “What happened on Alsakan?”

“I can answer that,” Leia said, stepping into the room. With a nod of her head, the medical droid wheeled itself away and Leia sat at Shyon’s bedside. “It was a decisive victory for the Resistance and the New Republic.” The General sighed and lightly grasped Shyon’s hand. “The Queen and the prince send their many thanks to you for saving their lives.”

Shyon smiled. “I didn’t know they were royalty.”

Leia smiled and nodded. “You are to be welcomed like a princess if you ever make it back to Alsakan. They are singing your praises still.” She sighed again. “You’ve been unconscious for two weeks, Shyon. We had to try…everything to save you.”

“Ben,” Shyon said, suddenly sitting up. “I saw Ben.”

Leia nodded and pushed Shyon back down. “Yes, I know you saw him. Rey saw him too. He carried you all the way through the battle until he found Rey. He left her with specific instructions to keep you alive or he would set the galaxy on fire himself.” Leia frowned. “You’ve ripped your stitches.” She called the medical droid back in who made quick work of restitching one of the many wounds Shyon now sported. “We assume that the attack on Alsakan was supposed to be a diversion. We were supposed to be lured away from our bases, giving them an opportunity to destroy them. Just like what we had done with Starkiller Base. But plans, I suppose, changed when the reports came in that Jedi had surfaced in the midst of the fight.” Leia leaned forward and brushed a bit of greasy hair away from Shyon’s forehead. “I saw what you had done in the Palace, Shyon. You’re so…angry, aren’t you?”

“I was, I still am. They were threatening a woman and child. And I just…I will always be angry, I think. But I was also scared. There were so many of them and I didn’t want to die. I panicked.”

Leia’s grip tightened on Shyon’s hand. “You saved so many people, Shyon. Be proud of your power.”

“It’s dark, General. Even Luke says it’s dangerous.”

Leia shook her head. “You are amazing, Shyon. Scared or angry, you are made of power. Use it.” Leia smiled and squeezed her hand again. “Please, let me know if you need anything.” The General stood and excused herself from the small medical bay.

The medical droid rolled itself back in and started to push Shyon’s bed to a more secluded room, farther away from the rest of the bay. “The General requested you have your privacy. You’re a celebrity now on the base.”

Shyon felt herself smile but her eyelids soon grew heavy again and she succumbed to sleep.

**

It had been two weeks since she had been taken to Taanab and Shyon felt herself growing stronger and healthier with each passing day but the medical droid (who was getting direct orders from Leia) refused to let Shyon leave. Guests were regulated to short, fifteen minute visits between lunch and dinner. The seclusion itself was exhausting.

To pass the time, Shyon read her books and scrolls again (which Poe managed to find back on Naboo) and infuriated the medical droid by picking her up and moving her out of the room when she was tired of pain killer injections.

Kaydel came to visit every day, bringing in new flowers to set at Shyon’s bedside and filling her in on all the gossip around base in between briefing her about the missions of the different squadrons. Poe came to visit as well. For a moment, Shyon worried. It had become abundantly clear to her that her heart would always belong to Ben, no matter what happened.

And Poe deserved better than someone who would always care for another.

But, thankfully, it seemed he had found someone else. He briefly mentioned another Pilot who he called “my girl” which only made Shyon smile.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said softly as he gently held her hand, his rough fingers sliding over hers.

“I’m surprisingly hard to kill,” she joked in return.

Poe just rolled his eyes with a chuckle before he was shooed away from her side by the droid again. The former Stormtrooper, Finn, also visited, wanting to know about the person who had brought back Han and who Rey wouldn’t stop talking about. Rey stopped by as well, poking at Shyon’s forehead with an angry finger telling her over and over again, “that was very brave but very stupid. Never do it again” without letting Shyon get a word in edgewise before disappearing again, called out on another mission.

Master Luke also visited, just once while he was “in between missions” as he said, to tell her to be proud of her power and to be proud that she used it for good. He briefly talked about the other Jedi, who were now around the camp. “They all want to meet you. They’re a little rusty, but incredibly happy to be back in the fold. Their lives have changed but their hearts have not.”

“You’re going to change the galaxy,” Shyon said with a smile.

Luke returned the smile, nearly hidden behind his scruffy beard. “We already have.”

It was quiet for a moment before Shyon spoke again. “I know about Rey.”

Luke set his jaw, as if expecting a barrage or argument.

“She looks like Mara. Doesn’t she?”

Luke hung his head and nodded. “Yes, she does.”

“Have you told her?”

“I didn’t have to. She figured it out on her own. Rey’s always been very…clever. I wanted to tell her sooner but I needed to focus on your training. I couldn’t risk distracting her. She was always meant for greatness.” He paused. “Her mother said that every day.”

“What happened to Mara, Luke?” Shyon asked, instantly regretting the question as soon as it left her mouth.

“She died shortly after Rey’s third birthday. Snoke somehow found out about her and hunted her down when she was making a run on Coruscant for the Resistance.” Luke twisted his mouth into a grimace. “I would’ve left Rey with her instead of leaving her on Jakku. But it was too dangerous to take her with me. I-”

Shyon waved her hand, stopping his explanation. “Your reasons are your own, Master Luke. You did not judge me when you saw the darkness in me, I will not judge you for your own actions.”

Luke smiled again. “You’re kind, Shyon. Please, hold onto that.” He left her room with a simple, “I’m very proud of you, Shyon.” And then she was left alone again. Sleep claimed her again just as the midday sun started to peak.

It was night by the time she felt soft fingers gently brushing against her cheek. Her eyes opened and she held back a gasp as Ben stood beside her, a finger pressed to his lips. A jagged scar now ran across his face, bisecting his nose and forehead. His brown eyes nearly shone in the moonlight streaming in through her window. Her blessed warmth was spreading through her chest, running like a river to her head and toes. She simply basked in it. He was here.

“What are you doing here?” She asked in a hush as she quickly reached out for him.

He let her curl her fingers around his arms and tug him onto the bed. She moved over to let him lay down next to her. He was still dressed in his standard black but his cloak, gloves, and helmet were gone.

“I snuck in,” he said.

“Yes, but how?” she asked.

“Very carefully.” His large hands gently cupped her face and he simply stared at her for a moment before pressing his lips to her forehead.

“You saved me.”

He shook his head as his fingers started to slide through her thankfully-clean hair. The medical droid had finally allowed her to take her own shower earlier that day. Shyon had been thankful she no longer needed an extra mechanical arm in the shower with her.

“ _The Resistance_ saved you.”

“Leia told me you carried me through the battle until you found Rey. And that you threatened to set the galaxy on fire if I died.” Her fingers slid against the rough material of his tunic before she pressed her cheek against his chest, listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat.

“I thought I had lost you. I saw you in that hallway, surrounded by blood, and still clutching your lightsaber. I panicked. I did the only thing I could think of. I wouldn’t be able to care for you. Snoke would’ve had you killed the moment I arrived back on base with you. It nearly killed me to have to give you to Rey. But I knew you would at least be given a fighting chance to survive here.” He sucked in a breath of air and pressed his lips to her forehead again, his long arms wrapping around her.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

She felt him smile against her skin. “I wasn’t joking when I threatened to set the galaxy on fire. Nothing mattered when I thought I had lost you. Not the battle, not my mission, nothing. All I could see was you.”

“Where did you go, Ben?”

“Snoke continued training me, saying I had truly become a worthy apprentice.” His fingers slid across her arm. “I was cut off from the rest of the world, the galaxy. I thought, for a moment, I would actually become like Snoke. But I thought of you and I was able to keep going. You gave me strength, Shyon.”

Shyon smiled and let silence stretch between them. It was easy and comfortable.

But she needed answers. “What of your father, Ben? Why did it have to be him?”

He was quiet and his hand froze against her arm. “I will never forgive myself for it, if that’s what you’re implying. But it was necessary. I needed to become the darkness Snoke thought he saw in me when he first saw me.” Ben was quiet for a moment. “Snoke fully intended to make me a sith. In order to do that, a great sacrifice must be made. My grandfather made the sacrifice of all the younglings in the Jedi Temple and then, inadvertently, my grandmother. One sacrifice must simply be of innocent blood, which I achieved at the school. The next must be of someone of great importance to you—also of innocent blood.” Ben paused and pushed a hand over his eyes. “I didn’t want it to be him. I wanted it to be anyone else but then he was there and I…” He drifted off.

Shyon noticed trails of tears slipping out from beneath his hand and soon his shoulder shook with sobs and he curled into his side as the sobs grew more intense.

Broken. It was the only word Shyon could think of at the moment.

Gently, she reached out and placed her hand on his cheek before pressing herself closer to him.

“What is your plan? Your mission? I’ve been told—by more than my fair share of people—that I must help you. I can’t help you if you keep me in the dark, Ben.” She pressed closer to him, holding him a little tighter. “Please.”

A deep breath pushed out of him. “My grandfather had been prophesized to bring the Force back into balance. He succeeded with his dying moments. It continued with my mother and Uncle Luke. But the First Order gained power and it was thrown out of balance again. From an early age, I could…hear Snoke in my head. He was constantly tempting me, trying to pull me to the dark side. I knew he was powerful, more powerful than anything I had ever experienced. My mother and father told me stories of their time in the war. Uncle Luke, when he would visit, taking time away from the school, he told me stories of the Republic and how it used to be before The Empire. He and Lor San both taught me how this darkness could control the universe, snuffing out the Light and everything good with it. But darkness cannot be defeated by darkness alone, it needs light. When I first met Little Padme Rey, Aunt Mara called her “little Light” and that’s all I could sense in her; goodness and light. I knew she could be my foil, my exact opposite. I wasn’t going to let Snoke pull the galaxy into darkness. I decided to make a sacrifice so no one else would have to. I made a plan to make think Snoke had won and seduced me to the Dark Side. I told no one, they would only try to stop me. Uncle Luke easily read my thoughts as I didn’t guard them and I knew he started hiding the other apprentices around the Galaxy, fearing what he had heard Snoke had told me.” He paused and Shyon watched him open and close his mouth a few times, as if unsure if he should continue. Shyon pressed a kiss over his heart and repressed a smile as she heard it stutter. “I accepted Snoke’s only after I had waited as long as I could. Luke could only smuggle so many Jedi away without tipping me off and my hand was forced. I…took up the mantle so no one else would have to.” Ben repeated the phrase, as if that would help him. “I had to shut off my humanity—or try to for over a decade. I hid my true intentions from Snoke but let myself revel in the darkness. But the Light still seeped through and it became harder and harder to stay on my path. But I knew I needed to see this through. I could feel it getting closer and closer. It was almost time to find Padme and finally bring the Force back into balance. And then you, quite literally, snuck into my life.” Ben pulled her a little closer and put his chin on top of her head. “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t actually arrived when you did. I had felt my resolve crumbling and you gave me strength.” It was quiet again for a moment. “I’ve done terrible things, Shyon. You’ve seen them, felt them. And I know I’m unforgiveable but I hope that all I’ve done will bring balance.”

Shyon lifted herself up and looked down at him. Her small hand pressed against his cheek. “Your father forgave you the moment you drew your lightsaber.”

“How do you know?” The barest traces of tears touched his eyes, clinging to his long lashes.

Shyon gave a bitter smile. “I…I caught him, before he fell into the abyss. He swore to me that there was still Light in you. He loved you, forgave you—all without question or inner turmoil, Ben. You are forgivable. You are carrying a burden you never should have been given. That future you saw of us, meeting on Naboo—that’s what you should have been granted. But life can be cruel.” She leaned down and lightly brushed her lips against his. “You are good, Ben. Your mother never stopped seeing it. And your father saw it. _I see it_.”

Ben looked up at her, his brown eyes full. His tongue darted out to moisten his bottom lip before gently pressing his lips to hers. 

And while it had started as something pure, it quickly grew heated and Shyon was tugging at his hair, drawing him closer as he sat up and dragged her to his lap, her thighs bracketing his own. She tugged at the bottom of his cloak and tunic and pulled it up and over his head. She needed him closer.

Ben’s mouth finally detached from hers and she took a heady gulp of air only to gasp when his swollen lips attached to the sensitive flesh just below her ear. Almost greedily, his fingers slid up the back of her plain hospital shirt to the clasp of her bindings and he easily undid it so the fabric started to slide down her arms. She fumbled a bit when she reached down to completely tear the top and bindings away from her skin. 

Ben’s warm, sweaty hands grabbed at her waist, fingers sliding against the coarse fabric of the pants.

Carefully, she felt for the start of his trousers and pushed them down his thighs as tongues tangled together. 

They both fumbled to completely rid the other of any sort of clothing. Lips and fingers continued to explore in a hurried but fascinated fashion, as if they were racing to memorize the other. She gasped when she felt one of his deft fingers slide over her heat before tapping a quick rhythm over her clit that had her squirming atop him and clutching his shoulders for support. Two digits were plunged in without warning. Shyon’s back arched at the intrusion, unused to the feeling. He curled his fingers as a jolt of strange pleasure shot through her. His lips attached to her nipple as he continued to work his fingers. Her hips unconsciously ground down against him and the coil that she felt building in her stomach was getting tighter and tighter as he went faster and faster and then pressed his thumb against her clit, rubbing it in harsh circles.

“So, tight,” he groaned out before nipping at her sensitive skin. 

Shyon clamped her eyes shut and dug her blunt nails into the taught skin of his shoulders as the coil finally snapped and she came, waves of pleasure crashing over her like a storm.

Ben pressed his lips against hers briefly before he reached down and grabbed his length and she felt it rub against her still sensitive core. 

“Are you okay?” He asked softly.

“Yeah.” She brushed her swollen lips against this rapidly beating pulse. “Yeah, I’m right where I want to be.” She buried her face into his neck and wrapped her arms tighter around his shoulders, waiting for the pain she was told would come. 

With a quick snap of his hips, he was in. Shyon bit down on his shoulder as the pain washed over her, if he heard the whimper that she pressed into his skin, Ben didn’t address it. 

He slowly pulled out and then pushed back in so Shyon could feel every inch of him. His large hands had grabbed her hips and helped her move, meeting the thrusts he was providing from below. She continued to drag her nails across his shoulders and back, masking her pain with whimpers buried into his neck as he continued to groan into her ear, his pleasure plainly evident.

The hot, searing pain that had started just a few moments ago was already fading to a numb sort of discomfort. She tried her best to match his thrusts, keeping her face hidden in the crook of his neck. All she could hear was his grunts and groans and his hands grew tighter on her hips.

“You’re perfect,” Ben said, his voice breathy and tight. His thrusts picked up pace and the sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room. 

Shyon gripped him tighter as the numbness started to fade and the slightest bit of pleasure started to pool in her stomach like it had before. She clenched around him as another jolt of please rushed through her. Her breath was coming out in short tufts that left her head swimming just with thoughts of Ben. She couldn’t help it, she moaned; a quiet breathy sound. “Ben…”

“Look at me,” Ben said before letting one of his hands tangle in the sweaty mess of her hair. Ben’s large hand gently touched her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the dampness on her skin. He slowly rolled them over so he was pressing her into the bed. His movements were slow and deep and she could only focus on the feeling of having him inside of her, his hands on her hips, and his lips pressing into her hair. 

The coil was getting tighter and tighter and she clung a bit more to Ben and pressed her lips all over him, to any expanse of skin she could reach. 

“Stay with me, stay with me,” he chanted in her ear. 

She was coming undone and he could tell. She clenched around him and heard him groan and his thrusts became sloppy and rushed before feeling warmth pool inside of her. He continued to thrust through his orgasm, and her body was milked it before the cord finally snapped again with a sigh of his name and Ben pressed his lips to hers as she whimpered. She let herself slump against him as he carefully turned them over so she was lying across his chest.

Shyon wasn’t entirely sure how long she allowed herself to be pressed against his sweaty chest, ear pressed over his heart, but eventually she lifted herself up just enough to press a kiss to the sharp line of his jaw.

He smiled and moved to kiss her forehead. “Are you okay? Did I-”

“You didn’t hurt me. You were absolutely perfect.” She smiled against his skin as his grip around her just got a bit tighter.

It was quiet for a moment before he pulled in a deep breath. His fingers started tracing patterns into her cooling skin. “I…” the words died on his tongue as she pressed a single finger against his plush mouth.

“Not now, Ben. Don’t say it because you’re scared we’ll die tomorrow.” She felt him smile again, this time a bit more ruefully, before nodding.

And soon sleep overtook them.

**

When Shyon woke the next morning, with the sun still missing from the sky, Ben was getting dressed. He silently helped her redress before changing the sheets on the bed. Pressing a hard kiss to her forehead, he left without another word. The medical droid rolled its way into her room, just missing him.

“I didn’t expect you to be up this early.” The droid checked on all of her wounds before nodding once. “The General says you are free to go. She read your charts and-”

Shyon left without letting the droid finish the sentence and almost ran out into the open air of Tanaab after changing into the clothes the droid had brought. By now, the sun had risen and left the plains and meadows of the base in a pink hue. Shyon sucked in a breath full of the fresh air and let the smile run across her face without a care. It didn’t matter that she was now scarred. It didn’t matter that she ached from head to foot. The air was cool and crisp. And she was alive.

“Shyon!”

She turned at the sound of her name and felt her smile grow even wider at the sight of Rey running toward her, arms outstretched. They ran into each other full-force and nearly toppled as they embraced.

“How are you? Are you healed? I’ve been asking about you every day but Master Luke-”

“Rey, I’m fine. I promise.” Shyon still kept her hands on Rey’s shoulders as they separated.

Rey nodded, her smile falling just the slightest bit. “It was so strange… I saw you in Ren’s arms and I thought he had come to gloat, to throw you down at my feet. But there was no malice in him. I felt only desperation.” The younger Jedi paused. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

A loaded question. “Would you have trusted me if I did? What would you do with the knowledge that he and I are strangely connected?”

The brunette’s lips pulled into a frown momentarily. “You keep secrets far too well.”

Shyon smiled. “You’ll forgive me.”

“I already have. But if you could never do that again, I’d be very happy.”

The women just laughed and pulled each other into another hug.

“C’mon. I have people to introduce you to.” Rey took her by the hand and led her through the unfamiliar base, walking passed housing united, repair shops, air strips, and command centers before slowing to a stop at what looked like an unfamiliar meeting ground.

A group of about thirty people, varying ages and species, stood and talked quietly to each other. Luke stood among them.

His blue eyes caught Shyon’s and he smiled. “I see they’ve finally let you loose,” he said as he stepped up to Rey and Shyon. He and his daughter shared a tense smile before they both focused back on her. “How are you?”

“Still healing. But mobile.”

Luke nodded. He seemed a bit happier now. His eyes didn’t hold the same weariness they did back on the island. “It’s good to see you, Shyon.”

Rey tugged her forward and slowly led her around the group of Jedi. Some seemed wary of her and Shyon wasn’t sure if it was because of the way she had survived the battle on Alsakan or if they could sense the darkness within her but it didn’t matter. Each one eventually greeted her and welcomed her into the fold.

Like the island, the power that the group enveloped her in was palpable and comforting. It was as if she was surrounded by light. Some briefly shared their stories of being spirited away from the Jedi School by Master Luke back to their families to practice their talents in secret while some others were dropped off at the nearest planet if they were old enough to fend for themselves. All of them expressed sadness of the massacre at the school but were ready to use their power for good, to finally and completely step out of the shadow the First Order had forced them into for the past years. They radiated hope and determination.

Shyon could only hope that she wouldn’t let them down. Her thoughts briefly went to Ben and his mission and how these Jedi would respond to him when the time came but she quickly brushed it aside.

Leia stepped up to them, a small smile on her face. She wrapped her brother in a hug before doing the same with Rey then Shyon. 

“I’m happy to see you up and about. We almost lost you.” She squeezes Shyon’s shoulder before stepping back. “I need all of you in the command center.” She led the large group back through the base and Shyon seemed to be the only one to notice how the other Resistance fighters stopped and stared as they passed by. Whispers followed them. Fingers were pointed. But she felt no malice—there were touches of apprehension coupled with awe but there was nothing angry in the fighters.

Leia led them down into the command center which was filled with almost all of the high ranking officers of the Resistance which seemed to have quadrupled since her time on D’Qar.

“General,” a few of the officers greeted her before looking at the Jedi behind her.

“Today is the day,” Leia said. Shyon watched her eyes scan the crowd as if looking for any objection or fear. She found none. “We have been led to believe the base on Korriban is where Snoke has made his stronghold.”

“The old homeworld of the Sith?” One of the officers asked.

“Yes. It is entrenched in the Dark Side of the Force. It masked Snoke’s own Force signature from our scans.” Luke said.

Shyon listened as the other Jedi and officers hatched a plan. Thanks to a recent defector from the First Order, (Poe puffed his chest at this small bit of information) the Resistance was aware of the First Order’s plan to hide Snoke away while a full offensive attack raged. They needed to know where the new base was.

“We’re not going to let that happen,” Leia said. “We know where they are, where their power lies. We will cut off the head of the snake and the body will die along with it.”

“But is not to say that the body won’t try to strike back as we are cutting the head off,” Admiral Ackbar said.

“What we need is a plan of attacks to distract them from our main target. Several of them. It will divide their forces and keep them occupied,” Another officer said.

While this was all entertaining, Shyon just wanted to know what they were going to do. “If all the Jedi are sent to Korriban, someone is bound to know what we’re planning. Will the attacks happen all at once or will they be spaced apart?” She asked from the back of the group.

Leia looked as if she were suppressing a smirk. “A few Jedi will be needed in a few of the ground-based attacks to keep the First Order from completely knowing our plan. But most, yes, will be sent to Korriban. From what we understand, Snoke’s hiding spot is a fortress and you will need all the Force Wielders available to get through it. And as for the other diversion attacks, they have to seem like they are deliberately striking all at once. It will cause the First Order forces to scramble to keep up. If their arrogance is gone, most of their fighting power will be too.”

The door opened and closed softly and Shyon turned to see a short woman with electric red hair silently weave into the assembled group. There was something very strange about the woman, and it wasn’t how her brown eyes were trained on Leia.

“Ah, Theia. There you are,” Leia said. “I-” The General halted when ‘Theia’ stood on her toes to whisper something into Leia’s ear.

Shyon watch Leia’s already straight back go rigid and her eyes went straight to Shyon. A shot of cold ran down Shyon’s back.

“Admiral, brief everyone on the rest of the plan. Shyon, follow me.”

Shyon instantly felt a few pairs of eyes shoot to her as she followed the General and Theia back out into the open air. It was silent as the short woman led them around the command center, to a deserted spot on the base…or what would have been a deserted spot if it weren’t currently occupied by a TIE fighter. Ben was leaned against it, his limbs bound in coiled ropes. His mask was over his face but Shyon could feel his amusement.

_Amusement?_

Shyon arched an eyebrow and stepped toward him but stopped as she was flung backward by an unseen force. Her back slammed into the wall of the command center and sucked the air from her lungs as her skull smacked into the concrete. She slumped to her knees and fumbled to grab her lightsaber from its holster on her hip. The world was spinning from the impact and she felt two very strong emotions wash over her; alarm and betrayal. Her head instantly ached from the impact.

Shyon grunted and shot to her feet, activating her lightsaber just as Leia raised her hands and Shyon felt an invisible grip wrap around her neck.

“You were going to **betray** me?” The older woman yelled, stepping forward, dark eyes ablaze. “I trusted you! Gave you shelter, a home, clothes on your back, and sent you to be trained. I trusted you!”

Shyon was trying to suck in a breath but couldn’t. Her lungs were screaming in protest. She had lost her grip on her lightsaber as she tried to pry the invisible grip away.

“Gen—general…” Shyon gasped out as black dots started to line her vision.

“How could both of you betray me?!”

“Enough!” A voice boomed.

The grip on Shyon loosened and she slumped to the ground again. She watched, gasping to refill her lungs, as Ben easily pulled off his restraints and stood. The familiar hiss of his mask being disengaged hit her ears as Ben dragged his mask off to stare at his mother.

“What are you doing? Shyon’s done nothing wrong!”

“They’re in on this together,” Theia said before Shyon felt the barrel of a blaster being held to her temple. Shyon gritted her teeth and repressed the urge to Force Push Theia away from her. It probably wouldn’t help the situation. Her head continued to pulse, ache.

Ben took a step toward his mother, his hands held up in a placating surrender. “Mother…you know Shyon’s done nothing wrong. It was me. It was always me. But I’ve come back. I want to help.”

Leia stayed silent as Ben took a few more measured steps toward his mother. “Help with what?”

“Help you take down Snoke. That’s all I ever wanted. It’s why I’ve done everything…” he drifted off and Shyon watched his prominent adam’s apple bob before he softly began to explain everything. Leia knew Snoke had been trying to wiggle his way into Ben’s mind since he was a child. She knew the power he wielded. Ben continued to confess his sins, trying to get his mother to see why he had been forced to do everything—to save the galaxy. He briefly mentioned the Force Bond between him and Skyon , and how it anchored him and kept him going, but he still felt the heavy burden of the betray of his family. “I didn’t want to do it…I didn’t want to do it…” Ben said as a tear tracked down his cheek. “Please, mom. Please, I’m so sorry. But I’m here to help. I want to-”

Leia didn’t let him finish before she forcefully tugged him into a tight hug.

Ben’s surprised face softened and he slowly wrapped his long arms around his mother and they silent held each other as the soft wind rustled the tall grass around them. The formidable general was tiny compared to her son, but he seemed to crumble around her.

“You can stop pointing that blaster at me now, you know,” Shyon said, glancing up at Theia.

The redhead grimaced but holstered her weapon.

Both of them turned back toward the field when a resounding slap filled the air. Ben was holding his cheek with a scowl as he looked down at his mother.

“Don’t you ever do something like that again, Ben Solo! Do you hear me?”

Shyon couldn’t help it; she laughed. It was a full-belly laugh that had her falling onto her back onto the yellowed grass.

Honestly, this entirely situation could’ve gone so, so wrong. But it didn’t. It seemed that Ben and his mother were reconciled. Maybe a happy ending was attainable after all.

As Shyon brushed a few tears away from her eyes, she looked at Theia who was watching the scene with confusion written all over her face. Another mystery for another time. Shyon stood up and carefully moved toward the mother and son.

Leia looked at her and her shoulders slumped. “Oh, Shyon, I’m so sorry. I-”

“You are quite powerful, General. You could rival Master Luke with a bit of training.” Shyon chuckled, still feeling the residual effects of the Force Choke on her throat.

“I was just…so angry and I-”

“General, I am the last person you need to explain your anger to. Trust me.” Shyon offered a small smile before Leia wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you for bringing him back.”

Shyon returned the hug and smiled as her eyes caught Ben’s over his mother’s shoulder. “He brought himself back; I was just along with the ride.”

Leia chuckled as she held Shyon at arm’s length. “You are a blessing, Shyon. I can’t thank you enough.” And then Leia kissed her cheek before stepping back. She glanced over to Theia before waving her forward.

The redhead frowned but took a few steps toward them, her hand still on her blaster. “Ma’am?”

“I’m terribly story you had to see all that, Theia.”

“It’s fine. I’ve seen worse.” Her eyes darted to Ben before looking toward the ground. “Sorry I tackled you and tied you up.”

“Your knots were impressive. As was that right hook.” Ben rubbed his jaw. She must have jumped him when he had landed.

“If you could’ve gotten out of those restraints so easily…why did you even let me tie you up?”

“I thought it would be easier for me to get into the base to talk to my mother if I was taken as a prisoner.”

Shyon shook her head. “You could’ve just asked me, you know.”

Ben smiled apologetically. “I didn’t want your loyalty to be test.” His eyes shot to his mother. “That obviously didn’t go too well.” He stepped to Shyon’s side and she shivered as the cold leather of his gloves slid against her throat, still red. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t you worry.” She smiled as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Finally, she could be with Ben without fear of being ostracized and out in the open. As the warmth once again bloomed in her chest, Shyon was aware of just how happy she had become.

The happiness was tenuous at best, she knew. But it didn’t dim the warmth or the smile on her face.

Leia quickly devised a plan. She would hide Ben away for a moment—along with his stolen TIE Fighter—and then arrange a meeting between Luke and his nephew. Ben would explain his own plan and hopefully Luke would understand. Ben would then join the ranks of the Jedi sent out to Korriban. Only Rey, Finn, and Chewie knew his face and they could be also be given a chance to let Ben defend his actions. Ben would finally take up the mantle as a Jedi instead of a Sith apprentice.

The attack, Leia told them, were to be carried out the morning after next. It would start in the Core Worlds and then bridge outward quickly, strike after strike, attack after attack. The Resistance hoped that the barrage would keep their losses to a minimum and keep the First Order from retaliating and locating their Tanaab base.

Shyon covertly led Ben back to the quarters Leia had said she reserved for her, a small hut far off from the main tarmac and meeting grounds, and hid him away for most of the day. While the quarters were cramped, they worked. She slid in and out of the mess hall without much fanfare and they enjoyed quiet meals as they lounged on her tiny bed. But soon Ben’s touches started to linger and Shyon felt a familiar pooling of desire in her stomach as Ben gently pushed her down to her pillows. Clothing was removed in unhurried movements, interspersed with wet, breathy kisses. His touch was tender, soft. He paused at the gentle curves of her body and new scars and kissed them as if trying to burn into his memory how they felt under his skin. 

Ben slowly slid into her letting her feel every ridge. Her breath hitched as he bottomed out and her fingers curled into the flesh of his shoulders. Their movements were languid and slow. Her orgasm was slowly built, thrust by thrust, and then she felt every fiber of her being set alight in pleasure. Ben found his own as he held her tight.

Tomorrow wasn’t promised. And they both knew it as they slowly drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if I could hide behind a rock, I would.   
> I hope you enjoyed the smut. I tried. I'm sorry.  
> The next part is the end! Please tell me what you think!
> 
> And I'm writing the Poe spin-off. It'll only be about five parts, but it'll be in the same style. I hope you guys like it when I post the first chapter next week! :)


	11. Korriban

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, my darlings. This is the end.  
> I hope you like it.  
> And thank you to everyone who made this little story such a success.

Ben was insistent that Shyon not be present when he spoke with his uncle.

“I don’t know what he will do. And I still hate how you somehow caught the brunt end of my mother’s wrath.” Ben’s fingers trailed across her throat, remembering the grip he had watched try to choke the life from her.

Shyon just smiled. There was no ill-will toward Leia or to Theia. She had meant what she had said to Leia, she understood the anger the General exuded. And she knew Leia had been repressing it for years. She wasn’t seriously hurt. “I’m sure I would be fine but, I will let you have your moment. I have to train anyway. I’ve spent far too much time in a medical bay bed to be of use.”

Ben smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips. “You are more powerful than you know.”

Shyon just rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard that too many times. Now go, before Luke gets suspicious of your mother and her ‘meeting.’” 

He quickly dressed, now in dark Jedi robes that matched Shyon’s, and with another kiss to her forehead, he was out the door.

Shyon passed the day gearing up for the attack on Korriban. The other Jedi were divided into groups based on where they would help lead the charge against the First Order. The base was buzzing with excitement and nerves. The few families that had formed during the rise of the Resistance were busy quietly saying tearful goodbyes.

It had been easy for Shyon listen in on conversations around the base as she quietly stretched and refamiliarized herself with her weapon. There were whispers of another Jedi coming to the base—most noted his facial scar and Shyon had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. Rey found her before the sun reached its peak and dragged Shyon behind a small hangar. 

“What is he doing here?” Rey asked, hazel eyes searching.

Shyon quickly spilled Ben’s plan but Rey still narrowed her gaze. 

“I don’t like him. I don’t trust this. And Finn saw him too. He’s half the mind to cut him across the back like Kylo did back on that stupid snow planet.”

Shyon gently grasped Rey’s hands and squeezed. “Do you trust me?”

“With my life,” Rey said without hesitation.

“Then trust me on this. You and Finn both can trust Ben.” When Rey didn’t seem convinced, Shyon chuckled. “On my life, he is good, made of light—like you.” 

Rey glared but soon sighed as her shoulders slumped. “When this is over, you and I are going to talk. You’re going to explain everything.” 

Shyon agreed and let Rey go with a hug. 

Another Jedi, a Twi’lek woman with bright blue skin, offered to spar with Shyon. She was a strong, graceful opponent and Shyon could feel the power radiating off of her. But her movements were almost slow as if to preserve the beauty of the movement. And Shyon’s body still easily contorted and shifted with the Vappad even though her now-scarred body screamed in protest to some of the moves. She pushed forward, enjoying the fight, letting the smallest traces of anger slip into her Force signature to power her moves whenever the woman nearly landed a blow with her green lightsaber. The enjoyment of the fight still urged Shyon forward, relishing in each victory as the scrolls told her to do. Shyon won four of the five bouts before another Jedi, a human male, offered to fight. His style was rough, unpracticed and his blue lightsaber seemed to be constantly slipping from his grip. He relied heavily on the force which Shyon felt throw her back a few times before she scrambled to her feet to reciprocate. If there was anything she remembered from her time with Luke and Rey on the island, it was that she hated being put on her butt. Shyon gritted her teeth and flung the other Jedi right into the side of an X-Wing. 

“Sorry!” She called out as he stumbled to his feet.

It seemed she wasn’t as rusty as she had thought. Perhaps the moves and reliance on the Force were now part of her being.

A few other Resistance fighters and Jedi had stopped their own preparations to watch the fights and Shyon felt a blush stain her cheeks. She had never been one to favor an audience. And she heard the whispers.

Her movements were too fast. Her abilities too pronounced. Her presence too angry and dark.

But it was nothing she hadn’t said about herself. So, she rolled her shoulders and let the next opponent take his shot.

By the end of it, her body was screaming, pleading with her to rest. A few Jedi had offered her smiles and had something along the lines of, “well, I’m glad you’re on our side,” before trotting off to spar with another or to help others prepare for the morning.

It was a rocky relationship, Shyon knew. But she was thankful for the companionship the other Jedi offered. Every family needed a black sheep, she supposed.

Shyon wiped her brow as the sun began to set on the horizon. Her bouts with the other Jedi left her wondering if they were actually prepared for the upcoming fight. She had been told of how well they held their own on Alsakan but still, the thoughts plagued her as she watched a few of them continue to fight while she made her way back toward her quarters.

Ben was waiting for her there. His face was bruised but he was projecting happiness which only grew stronger when he caught sight of her in the doorway. His long arms wrapped around her and pulled her farther into the hut.

“How’d it go?”

“He was angry, understandably and rightfully so. He wished I would have told him something, tipped him off before…” Ben drifted off as put his chin on Shyon’s head with a heavy sigh.

Her fingers wound into the folds of his tunic, letting his warmth and the bond fill her with peace.

“You did what you had to. The Galaxy is in your debt.”

Ben was quiet for a moment. “We will see.”

For now, Shyon just tucked herself a little closer to him, wishing tomorrow wouldn’t come quickly.

**

It was barely dawn when Shyon awoke. She dressed in her robes and tied her hair up as Ben managed to sleep a few more minutes despite the roaring of the engines outside.  
The base was awake with preparations.

The day had come.

Sleep had evaded her for most of the night, keeping her tossing and turning despite Ben’s attempts to calm her. She had felt him pressing against her mind, trying to soothe her ragged nerves and whirlwind thoughts.

Would she be strong enough? Would she be able to fight against the personification of the darkness she felt nestled within herself? She didn’t know.

Leia had informed Shyon and Ben both that they, along with Rey, Finn, Poe, and a handful of other Jedi and fighters would lead the charge against Korriban and Snoke.

Ben stirred behind her and stretched with a groan before his eyes lazily opened. Shyon felt a smile push at her lips as she looked at him. He was hazy eyed and his sharp angels seemed softened by the rumpled sheets and tossled hair.

It was almost amusing to see how easily they had slipped into domesticity. There was no awkwardness when she had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. No awkwardly trying to find a way to share a bed. There was no blushing when they changed in front of each other or when they helped tidy the small space. It was easy. Simple. And she had a feeling it would always be that way. It would always be filled with ease and comfort and the warmth that blossomed in her chest whenever they thought of one another.

Well, it would be if they survived.

“Good morning,” he said, his voice husky from sleep.

“Good morning,” she answered.

He stumbled to his feet, something she found adorable, and pulled on his robes before running a hand through his dark locks once. Silently, he pressed a kiss to her lips and let it linger. All the feelings they hadn’t expressed filled her heart and Shyon wasn’t sure if it was through the bond or if she simply knew.

They hadn’t said those words to each other yet.

She didn’t want them to be blurted out because the threat of death was imminent. But she wondered if she would still have the opportunity to say them at the end of the day.

“Time to go,” Ben whispered against her skin.

She nodded and followed him out into the dark, morning air.

The shuttle they were stuffed into had been marked up to look like a First Order starship. Theia, who Shyon had found out was one of the handful of First Order defectors, had also managed to rewire and reconfigure the shuttle so it wouldn’t immediately set off First Order sensors. She and Poe were piloting a pair of TIE Fighters, “escorting” the shuttle to Korriban.

“Are you ready?” Ben asked Shyon quietly.

Shyon’s eyes darted from one end of the shuttle to the next. Every available seat was taken with Jedi and Resistance fighters and even more were standing between the seats. It was still and tense in the cabin. Everyone was draped in dark clothing, mimicking the uniforms of the First Order.

“I’m trying to be.”

Ben squeezed her hand. “We’re going to be fine.”

Shyon nodded and closed her eyes, trying to steady her rapidly beating heart.

The ship dropped out of lightspeed and the front window was filled with the scene of the red planet. A chill quickly shot down Shyon’s back. It was as if the entire planet was steeped in Darkness—and if what she had read was true, it was. The home planet of the Sith, there was no way to escape it.

“Sir,” the pilot called, looking back to Ben, “you’re up.”

Ben stood and walked to the front just as a call came from the planet.

“Identify yourself.”

Ben held a voice modulator in front of his mouth and said, “Kylo Ren.”

There was silence on the other end before an answer, “Landing granted. Welcome back, Lord Ren.” The communication cut off and the pilot let out a sigh of relief.

“Man, good thing you have that voice modulator. You sounded exactly like him.”

Rey snickered but cut herself off when Shyon elbowed her.

“Yeah, I guess I did.”

Ben grimaced as he sat back down next to Shyon, his fingers instantly curling around hers.

“You’re not him anymore,” Shyon whispered, just loud enough for only him to hear. “You’re not him. Today, we finish this.”

He kissed her forehead as the ship landed on the rocky terrain.

The passengers filed out, one by one, slowly forming a pair of lines with Rey, Shyon, and Ben taking up the rear. Both Rey and Shyon had thick cowls hanging over their faces. Part of their training on Ahch-To was learning how to disguise their signature in the Force and Shyon was immensely grateful for that as the presence of the planet and Snoke started to weave around her, oppressive and suffocating.

They had landed near a long, desolate road that was punctuated with tall statues of men with their heads bowed. Large stone structured were pushed back, away from the path.

The short briefing Shyon had attended this morning gave her a glimpse of what they were walking into today. This was the Valley of the Dark Lords, the once-glorious final resting place of the evil men and women who had ruled the planet and the galaxy at certain times through the galaxy’s turbulent history. As they passed another statue, part of the group broke off and headed west. A little farther, and another group headed east.

This was the plan. They would take out the guards without a fuss, and hopefully without stirring up too much attention. The smaller group of fighters and Jedi continued along the path until they slowly stopped in front of a great, crumbling stone structure. Atop the large entrance was a scarred slab of stone. On it was the ancient Sith phrase; King of Kings.  
The sound of blasters and lightsabers being activated pulled Shyon away from the temple and she saw the small squad of fighters cutting down the guards left and right, sneaking up on them before they could even stand a chance. The TIE Fighters flew above them as another fleet was seen starting to rise behind the temple.

The rest of the fighters ran inside as the amassed Stormtroopers were starting to converge, alerted to the presence of outsiders. Before she crossed the threshold, Shyon whispered to herself, "show no fear."

Inside the temple was a bastardized version of the command station Shyon had seen on Starkiller Base. Rubble was shoved aside to make way for the large pieces of sleek technology which now lined the walls and created winding paths between stations.

A woman at one of the computers turned and screamed. Shyon ignited her lightsaber alongside Ben and Rey. The fighters shot first as the First Order officers grabbed at their blasters and returned fire. A high pitched alarm sounded through the temple.

The sound of running down the numerous hallways caused Shyon to push at Ben toward the back of the temple. “We’re running out of time. We’re going to be surrounded if we don’t move.” She blocked another blaster shot with a flick of her saber.

“Rey!” Ben shouted. “We have to go!”

Rey nodded before gutting an officer who tried to shoot at Finn. “Go!”

Ben led the charge toward the back with Rey, Shyon, and Finn following.

The thrum of darkness grew with each hurried step she took. They were getting closer. They had been led to believe that Snoke had a chamber at the back of the temple and it seemed to be true.

The Resistance was getting the upper hand within the temple and the sounds of the dueling TIE Fighters managed to cut through the dank air of the temple from outside. Shyon took to jogging backwards with Finn, deflecting back blaster shots as Finn fired his own weapon. One by one, the officer fell. Some were silent, others shrieked until their last breath. The officers and Stormtroopers were ducking and weaving behind crevices in the walls, into side hallways, and behind statues before shooting off a random amount of shots and continuing to pursue them through the temple.

And one by one, Shyon felt the victory the Resistance come closer and closer. She let herself revel in each wave of her lightsaber, in each deflected shot, and each surprised grimace that would cross the First Order officers’ faces.

The Temple seemed endless. On and on it went. Shyon continued to deflect and take officers and Stormtroopers down while Finn helped. Ben and Rey had pushed forward, all but sprinting toward the final chamber.

The temple shook as a roar sounded. It wasn’t quite hum or beast and Shyon turned back to see the metal doors on the last chamber slide open as Rey and Ben rushed in, lightsabers ignited.

It must have come from Snoke—who else could wield that type of power? He had sounded frail when he was inside her mind all those years ago, but Shyon knew better than to trust appearances.

A Stormtrooper rushed at her through the firefight and attempted to tackle her. She sidestepped and thrust her lightsaber up, bisecting the white armor over his chest. With a gasp, the trooper fell. A shot then imbedded itself into her shoulder and Shyon let out a grunt of pain as Finn hurried to her side, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling both of them back toward the door.

“There’s too many of them,” he said, near in a panic. Finn continued to tug her along until they hit the metal door. “What do we do?” He fired his blaster again and again as Shyon was forced to use her other arm to wield her saber.

The pain in her arm seemed to intensify with each beat of her heart and Shyon wasn’t sure if it was the planet or her anger at the lucky shot—but she could feel the anger start to rise. She could feel the darkness start to press in on her like a vice.

“Get behind me,” Shyon hissed out to Finn. He quickly did as he was told as heat started to overwhelm her hands. She wanted them to stop shooting. She wanted them to die.  
Lightning shot out of her hands as several officers and troopers ducked out of their hiding spots in an attempt to gain ground and shoot. The bolt of blue lightning grabbed each and every one of them and shook them like rag dolls, forcing them to emit high pitched screams, before they were sent crashing to the ground, void of life. The lightning continued to search for more and more life, needing to hurt and destroy.

It didn’t matter that she felt the darkness starting to cloud her mind and heart. It didn’t matter that she started to smile at the screams.

All that mattered was that Ben was safe behind that door, with Rey, without any distractions while he battled his former master.

Soon, all that was left in the hallways was charred bodies and smoking stone and Shyon slumped against Finn who quickly caught her.

“You did it!” He yelled, a tired but wide smile crossing his face. “You okay?”

Shyon pulled in a steadying breath and straightened her shoulders. Her ears were ringing, heart pounding and there was a chill that seemed to have settled in her stomach.  
But the pain in her arm kept her from fully focusing on it.

Another howl started and, without thinking twice, Shyon thrust her lightsaber into the panel which controlled the door and it slid open in a shower of sparks.

“Ben!” she screamed, searching the dark room for him. Everything was doused in darkness, no light permeated the room except for a single stream of sunshine through a small break in the black walls near the back. The glow of lightsabers finally caught her attention, cutting through the black. A light flickered above her and Shyon glimpsed the battle. Both Rey and Ben were circling a shriveled man with scar tissue covering all of his body. His small frame was wrapped in dark fabric and, despite is less-than-powerful outward appearance, Shyon knew she was looking at Snoke. She could feel the power and darkness seeping out of him like a series of tidal waves. The room was in shambles, nearly everything destroyed.

Both Ben and Rey looked worse for wear as they continued to move.

Suddenly, Snoke struck, brandishing a red lightsaber from the folds of his cloak. He moved, dodging Rey’s saber, then parried, and swung upwards. Rey dodged, barely avoiding getting gutted. Ben took the opening and thrust his lightsaber at Snoke’s chest only for Snoke to shove Rey across the room, slamming her against the back wall. Finn instantly ran to her side. Shyon watched, frozen in shock, as Snoke outmaneuvered Ben and, with a flourish, took Ben’s hand off at the wrist. Ben’s scream filled the room. Snoke then sent Ben’s hurtling toward another wall, smacking his head against the wall. He fell to the floor in an unmoving heap.

Before she could stop herself, Shyon was rushing toward Snoke. She let out a scream as she struck, bringing down her lightsaber toward the large scar on his head only to have it bucked off by his own weapon.

“Ah, the girl with darkness in her heart has come back,” Snoke said with a smirk as Shyon stumbled before regaining her footing. “I could feel the darkness within you the moment you came in. It’s growing, isn’t it?” He laughed but stopped as Shyon swung again, letting her anger fuel her. The victory wasn’t assured. And, for the moment, she didn’t care. All she wanted was to see him hurt, to see him bleed.

Again and again, she struck only to be thwarted. When Snoke struck, it took every ounce of strength she had to not buckle under the blow.

Sweat had started to trickle down her brow. Her arms and legs, already fatigued, were shaking under the exertion but she continued to fight.

But then Snoke managed to gain the upper-hand with a cheap move and his saber struck her already injured arm. The heated blade went right through her bicep and she stumbled back with a scream as pain streaked through her body.

“Useless little gray Jedi. Did you think you could defeat me?”

Shyon grunted as she adjusted her hold on her lightsaber and swung again, only to be deflected.

Rey suddenly ran at Snoke and struck as Finn fired his blaster, filling the room with a shot of white and blue light.

Both Rey and Shyon swung, thrust, and parried, trying to take down Snoke.

The pain was excruciating. With every beat of her heart, Shyon could feel it fester and grow. It was burning and the scent of charred flesh was filling her nose. But she continued to push forward, to fight and she knew she would continue to fight until one of them was dead.

But then she heard Ben. He let out a groan as he stirred on the rubble-strewn floor. And, just for a moment, she lost focus and turned.

“Ben?”

A hot, searing pain ripped through her stomach. Shyon let out a choked breath and looked down to see the end of Snoke’s crimson lightsaber sticking through her abdomen as her own weapon clattered to the floor.

“Sentiment. Pathetic.” Snoke twisted the blade within the wound and Shyon felt the air get roughly pulled from her lungs as she fell to her knees.

“No!” Ben yelled, jumping to his feet and grabbing his lightsaber. Rey let out a shriek and charged again.

Shyon’s next breath didn’t fill her lungs. She toppled to stomach, her arms unable to carry her weight. Her lightsaber rolled out of her hand. Ben clamored to her side and blocked Snoke’s blade as he aimed for Shyon’s neck.

Shyon couldn’t focus. She couldn’t breathe. Black started to cloud her vision as she rolled to her back, trying to find a way to fill her lungs. But nothing helped.

Then, with a final charge, Ben thrust his saber at Snoke, causing him to block his attack but miss Rey. With a swing of her blue saber, she cut off Snoke’s head.

Shyon felt her head gently being lifted then set into a lap. She opened her eyes, not knowing when they had closed. Her fingers were starting to feel cold. For a moment, her eyes focused and she saw ben above her. His scarred face was sweaty and streaked with tears.

“You’re gonna be okay,” he said, his timbre breaking as fresh tears tracked down his cheeks. “I promise, you’re going to be okay.”

Shyon managed to smile as his warm hand touched her cheek. “It’s done, Ben. You’ve finished it.” Her voice was strained, breathy.

“It doesn’t matter. None of this matters if you’re not here.”

Rey kneeled beside her, followed by Finn. “What can I do?”

Shyon gasped as Rey pressed a hand over the wound in her stomach.

A tear splashed against her cheek and she knew it was from Ben. “You have to stay with me. Okay? You have to stay.”

The darkness was growing, making her vision almost tunnel-like as she stared up at him. “I want to stay. I want…to grow old with you… I want to see the galaxy with you.” She tried to drag in another breath. “I love you, Ben Solo.”

“I love you too,” Ben said. “I should’ve told you sooner. I should’ve screamed it to the stars when I first saw you.”

The chill was growing stronger and the pain started to fade.

“Ben, listen to me. None of this was your fault. Don’t…don’t ever think that this was your fault.” She slowly reached up to touch his hand as it continued to cradle her cheek. “I…made a choice. And I love you…I will always love you.”

And her eyes fell closed.

**

The cotton she was lying on was scratchy. And the light above her was blinding.

Her abdomen was once again wrapped in bandages, as was her arm.

She should’ve been dead. Should’ve died on Korriban while in Ben’s arms. What had happened?

Perhaps she should’ve been alarmed. After all, she had just felt the cold hand of Death wrap his fingers around her. But, she supposed she now knew what it felt like to almost become one with the Force, as all living beings did after death. There was nothing but peace in that knowledge.

The door to her room slid open and Ben walked in, a new cybernetic arm exposed by his dark robes. His dark eyes widened as he looked at her and he rushed to the bed. The cold metal of the metal hand sent a shock through her and was quite different from the warm hand as he cupped her face. Silently, he pressed his forehead against hers and it was quiet for a moment. And then a choked sob escaped him and Shyon felt a few tears land on her skin.

“I love you, I love you, I love you…” he repeated in a soft whisper.

Shyon reached up and gently wiped away a tear. “I love you too.” And there was peace here too, just being wrapped up in Ben’s presence.

He pressed his lips against hers, once, twice, three times before stepping back and calling for a medical droid.

Shyon just stared at Ben as the droid went about its business, scanning her wounds for infections, taking her temperature, and reading her vital signs. Ben, in turn, just stared at her. His eyes were narrowed but warm—it looked as if he were waiting to wake up from a dream.

The droid delivered news that she seemed to be healing dramatically but should still take it easy for a few weeks with mandatory bed rest under the healers and medical droids’ care. Ben nodded as the droid wheeled away and then he continued to look at her.

“What?” she asked, her voice cracking from disuse.

“I’m afraid that I’ll blink and you’ll be gone again.”

Shyon held out a hand, covered in wires and tubes, toward him and beckoned him forward. He slowly did and wrapped his fingers around hers and let Shyon pull him to her bedside again. The metal didn’t bother her, it was an extension of him.

“I’m not leaving. I promise.”

His fingers danced across her cheekbone before he pressed his lips to her forehead.

**

Ben and Shyon’s life had changed dramatically since the fall of the First Order. The New Republic once again gained power in the galaxy and Luke resumed his training of the new Force Sensitive children. But he had a new Code—one that embraced the smallest traces of darkness if the pupil had it. Darkness could be contained, and grown into something Light and beautiful. Leia was the head prosecutor of the tribune of senators and representatives who passed judgement on the First Order’s commanding officers. Rey and a few other Jedi, those who had survived the purge of the First Order, formed the new Jedi Order and sought to maintain the peace in the galaxy and helped the Republic find First Order officers who had fled in the scuffle. Rey and Finn were happily together. And Poe was happy too.

It seemed everything was falling into place.

Ben and Shyon withdrew from public life after she was cleared to leave the medical bay. They’d had enough of the turmoil to last them a life time.

Naboo became their home. Theed welcomed them as Jedi heroes, none the wiser to what had actually transpired. Most left them alone. Few asked questions which were usually unanswered.

Unofficially, Ben and Shyon became Naboo’s sentinels. It was a title from the Old Republic which made them the guardians of the planet against threats.

The Queen of Naboo, a young woman named Siri, called on them whenever a threat arose. Whether it was from a remnant of the First Order or space pirates in search of bounty, Ben and Shyon were happy to lead the charge. This action only fueled the whispers. There was something just not quite right about the sentinels. Their movements a little too fast and their ability to shut down a threat was a little too graceful. And the air that surrounded them was a little too cold.

Shyon had felt it the moment she had woken up almost a year ago in the medical bay. Something had changed. The darkness had grown in her heart. It had cemented itself within her signature and Shyon knew she wouldn’t escape the chill that it brought.

Ben had noticed it when she drew her lightsaber for the first time after the defeat of Snoke. Her eyes were wild, frantic as her moves to cut down a group of First Order loyalists remained fast and graceful. She knew he had felt the chill that now surrounded her.

When the nights were quiet, Shyon let herself curl around Ben as they lounged in their small home on the outskirts of Theed. The warmth of the bond seemed to sate the darkness.

“I know you feel it,” she whispered one night in the dark of their bedroom.

“I do.”

Shyon shuffled on the bed to press her cheek to his chest. “I’m so sorry, Ben.”

“Why?” His mechanical fingers started to tug at the ends of her hair, something she found he did when he was trying to calm her nerves.

“I just…don’t know if I’m your anchor anymore.” Tears started to silently slide down her cheeks, pooling against his chest. “I can’t be your anchor anymore if I’m…” She sniffled and Ben sat up to gently push her into the pillows and wipe away her tears.

“Listen to me, you did what you had to do to survive, to help the galaxy survive. You’ve saved billions of people. And if you believe in me, I can believe in you. I can feel the darkness in you, yes. But I also feel the light. You are good, Shyon. You are good.” He repeated before gently brushing his lips against hers. “Do you believe me?”

Shyon nodded after a moment, letting his words calm her fears. The warmth continued to fill her chest as Ben pulled her closer. Maybe she would be okay.

**

Shyon fulfilled her promise of taking Kaydel on an adventure through the galaxy, starting on Naboo and traveling to Tatooine and Mon Calamari before another handful of planets. Kaydel was still working with Leia on the panel of people charged with carrying out sentencing for the captured First Order officers. It had been tiring work, both mentally and physically, but she seemed proud.

Eventually, Shyon was called back to Naboo by Ben when he needed assistance defending the capital against a band of First Order sympathizers. Their role as sentinels had been made official only a few weeks ago. Other Jedi had been called, along with Fighters for the New Republic—an elite squadron of thousands of men and women who sought to protect the galaxy from powers like the First Order. It had been founded by Poe and Finn and, thus far, was a power to be reckoned with.

Peace was tenuous. But it was attainable.

Peace was touchable when Shyon was alone with Ben. He was her Bonded, just as she was his.

Luke now took his younglings on trips to planets around the galaxy and had asked Ben and Shyon if he could stop in Naboo. It seemed strange to Shyon that the powerful Jedi Grand Master would ask for permission but Ben just brushed it off. Sentinels, he explained, were supposed to be the first and last line of defense to a planet. It was courtesy for Luke to ask.

The younglings were happy to see Ben and Shyon, having been told of their deeds in the war. They took them to the Lake Country and treated them to a few sparring lessons along with meditation techniques, staying at the Queen’s Estate which she had gladly let them use.

On the last night of the younglings’ trip to Naboo, Sara, a small girl managed to corner Shyon. “You’re different. You and Master Solo both.”

Both Ben and Shyon had been given the title of Master Jedi for some reason but Shyon wasn’t going to complain. It seemed to roll of the tongue.

“I am, little one.” Shyon knelt down to her level and looked into her bright blue eyes. Shyon had noticed that the girl had always been a little distant from the other younglings, just a little removed. And she had sensed the small seed of darkness in the girl’s signature. “And you are too, aren’t you?”

Sara nodded. “Is it bad? Am I bad?” Tears started to well in her eyes and Shyon started to panic. Honestly, she hadn’t really been around a ton of children and did the only thing she thought of doing. She wrapped her arms around the girl’s shaking shoulders and pulled her close. “No, no, of course not, little one. You’re not bad. Just different, like you said. Master Solo and I aren’t bad, right?”

“No,” Sara sniffled into Shyon’s robes.

“Then you aren’t bad either. You can learn to channel what makes you different. It can make you powerful. It can make you good. You are good, Sara.” Shyon pushed a hand through Sara’s short, brown hair and smiled before wiping her plump little cheeks free of tears. “C’mon, it’s time for bed.”

As Shyon tucked Sara in, she felt the warmth bloom in her chest before she turned to see Ben leaning in the doorway. He was smiling as he watched the scene.

Silently, Ben took Shyon’s hand in his as she walked to him and they quietly walked the shore of the lake as the moons and stars shined above them.

“My mother called today,” he said.

“Oh? And what did the fearsome general report today?” She asked with a laugh.

“She asked when we were going to get married.”

Shyon quickly stopped on the sand and looked at Ben who was just smiling, his eyes crinkling just a bit and making his scar pucker just the smallest bit. “What?” Sure, they were Bonded. The Force had given them that unmistakable bond but marriage was something entirely different. Wasn’t it?

“I want to marry you, Shyon,” Ben whispered as he pulled her close, long arms wrapping around her torso. “Do you want to marry me?”

“Of course…”

**

Like his grandparents, Shyon and Ben married in the Lake Country of Naboo. Luke, Leia, Chewie, and Kaydel were present, making it a small ceremony. Her dress was a Naboo style, intricate lace covered her from neck to toes and a matching veil covered her hair. Ben was dressed in his finest Jedi robes as Luke presided over the ceremony.

It was quiet and peaceful and filled with warmth—something Shyon thought mirrored the bond between them.

As they lounged in their large bed on the Estate, sated and sweaty, Ben’s fingers tangled with Shyon’s as he looked down at her with a smile. Neither of them had ever been this happy.

She giggled and kissed his full lips before reclining back onto the pillows. “I have a secret,” she whispered.

“Oh?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” she said as she took their joined hands and pressed them to her exposed stomach. Shyon was silent as she watched emotions slide across his scarred features before a large grin settled on his lips. He then peppered her face with kisses until she was a mess of breathless giggles.

“Really?” He asked.

“Really.” Shyon nodded and he kissed her again. “We’ll be okay, right? We can do this?” She asked, her voice surprisingly small again.

“We can do anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it!
> 
> The Poe-spinoff will be posted soon. :)


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